Hooked
by TGP
Summary: When Jet sees the scar on another refugee's face, he is both appalled and drawn but he can't leave Li alone. Not even when he finds out Li is Fire Nation. Slash Jetko
1. Chapters 1 thru 4

**Hooked**

A/N: This story was originally posted on y!gallery and AFF.N because it does contain sexual content. This content has been stricken from the story for its release on FF.N, but can be viewed on its mirrors.

1.

When Jet sees the scar on another refugee's face, he is both appalled and drawn. It's a really ugly scar, taking over half the man's face and distorting one eye and ear. All red and brown and broken. He isn't sure why but all he can think about for five minutes straight is that he wants to touch it. He's pretty sure the guy would not approve of this. He stands like there's a pole up his ass and an apple under his chin to keep his face high. The old man he travels with is quite a bit more relaxed and it's pretty damn obvious they're close. Father and son, maybe. Right ages for it, even if the old guy is _really_ old. Jet's met some pretty kick ass old people, so he wouldn't put it past the guy to be able to kick his son/relative/companion's ass. Not that he could beat Jet, of course. Jet is_ the shit_.

It is while staring at the young man's face and his horrific scar that Jet finds himself walking over and talking with them. The two claim to be refugees from some tiny little farming village but Jet smells a foul. The scar guy can't lie his way out of a water jug if his life depended on it. And he sure as shit doesn't move like a farmer. Jet pegs him as some kind of soldier or soldier in training. Maybe even a bodyguard to some royal punk. The guy, introduced as Li, certainly has the grim expression of a body guard. Whatever the real story, Jet doesn't feel like prying. Not yet anyway.

They have fun on the ship, at least. Li is… Well, frankly, Li is fucking _hilarious_. The guy has absolutely no social skills. And he isn't all that bright, either. Jet's pretty sure by now that Li _had_ been a bodyguard. The guy is pretty much useless for anything else. He sure as hell can't take a _joke_. But that just makes Jet have more fun messing with him. He likes the way Li blushes when he's pissed off and how he gets so frustrated he can't even talk anymore. Li probably would never be able to bluff _anything_. He's a living tell. Jet, of course, takes advantage of this and beats him mercilessly at any betting game he can remember. They don't play for keeps, of course, but it's pretty damn funny how pissed Li gets at his constant losses. He doesn't get it and that just makes it even funnier.

It's funny enough that Jet is almost okay with Li saying no to joining him. _Almost_. It's still a huge disappointment. Jet heads back with Smellerbee and Longshot and wonders about what could have been.

Settling into Ba Sing Se is… okay, so Jet doesn't really _settle_ so much as_ stop killing people_. A promise is a promise. He still moves around way too much and sleeps on rooftops more than in the tiny apartment he shares with Smellerbee and Longshot. Jet just can't deal with the confinement. Everything is too small here, too cramped. The refugees are packed like pickled fish in a jar. Jet has to get out so he roams the streets restlessly, looking for _something_ to give his life meaning. There are no Fire Nation to fight here and he's not really allowed to protect anybody. There are soldiers for that, badly trained as they probably are. They didn't live through the school of hard knocks that the Freedom Fighters did.

He's wandering when he finds Li again. Bitchy, awkward Li. Jet doesn't know what started it but he has fun watching Li flush and grumble at his uncle Mushi. He figures out pretty quick that they're working there and, okay, so Li serving tea is probably the funniest thing on the planet. He's so stiff and holier than thou and so not a servant. Li's getting the idea that the kid was probably some kind of noble before the Fire Nation trampled on everything. Of course, thinking about what all Li must have lost is kind of a downer. So Jet doesn't. Instead, he stops staring through the window and walks right in. He doesn't have much money but it's at least enough for some tea. Smellerbee might kill him if she found him wasting money like this. It wasn't as if they could just live off the land anymore.

And that's how it starts. Li's suspicious, of course. There are definitely some secrets hiding behind that scar of his, but he lets Jet worm his way in as a friend anyway. Mushi seems rather approving of it. Jet doesn't really know what to do with the old guy but hey, any guy who sneaks him a tea cake here and there is all right by him.

It's after two weeks of near daily visits between side jobs that Jet realizes maybe he's a little too interested in Li. He's started dropping by the shop or Li's apartment just to glance in the windows to make sure Li and Mushi are still there and breathing, when he doesn't have time to chat. The roof of Li's building becomes the one he roosts in most often. It's safe, somehow, and Jet wonders if he's going soft for wanting that. But maybe it's okay to go soft. They're safe in Ba Sing Se and they're not supposed to be fighting anymore. It's someone else's job.

But he's restless. Ba Sing Se is so slow and steady, even in the refugee district. He's itchy and irritated and there's nothing to take it out on. Picking fights with Li, Longshot, or Smellerbee is absolutely _not happening_. They're all just as stressed. It's like they can feel something is going to happen, something _big_. Something Jet wants to dread but he doesn't. He can't stand this simple life much longer. Even getting under Li's skin and annoying his sensibilities isn't much of a balm, funny as it is. Besides, Li's getting a bit off his high horse as time goes on and he's an awkward kid instead of the pissy noble he once was.

When the big event comes, it comes quietly. No one expects the Fire Nation's quiet infiltration. That's not how Fire Nation does things! But suddenly, the city is overrun with soldiers coming out of the woodworks everywhere. As he's fighting, Jet wonders if his wish and need for something to change caused this. Then he realizes he doesn't really believe in fate and watches a neck break while he slings his hook violently and Li slices through bodies at his side.

2.

Li stays absolutely still and quiet while Jin carefully cleans out the burn across his bicep. He stares off at nothing, as if pain doesn't really register. As if _nothing_ really does anymore. He's been that way since the Fire Nation overran the city and they started fighting nearly a month ago. Jet thinks maybe it's because Mushi has been missing since the city fell. Li doesn't seem right without him and Jet wonders about the story behind that. But right now, he's more concerned with his new Freedom Fighters.

It seemed right to put the group back together again after the invasion. There were Fire Nation soldiers to fight and people to save and… It feels _good_ to have a purpose again, even if it's pretty shitty for Ba Sing Se. Jet's in his element when he's fighting and planning and killing. He knows maybe there's something cracked in his head but as long as he's got something to do and someone to protect, he could care less about the soul searching.

Jin secures the bandages on Li's arm with a smile but all he does is grunt something approaching thanks and she leaves as he draws his clothes back over his torso. Li doesn't much care for showing off his body and seemed even more uncomfortable doing it in front of a _girl_. Not that Jin is as much of a girl as some of ones they've rescued. She even volunteered to stay and help. Some of the refugees had been ferreted out through the sewer system but most of them are still captive in their districts, watching Fire Nation soldiers march through the streets. Jet doesn't envy them. He'd have gone stir crazy.

"Jet," Li says without looking at him as he secures his belt. It's kind of crazy that he can fight so well in his voluminous clothing, but he does. Of course, it's been slashed and burned and ripped all over the place but he stubbornly mends it, or gets Jin to. Li's crazy sentimental sometimes. Jet waits until Li finishes and looks towards him. There's always something uncertain about the way Li looks at people, even more than the awkward way he speaks. "The supply run. Can you lead it?"

"Getting cold feet, huh?" Jet teases with a grin and watches Li's brows bunch of with indignant denial. "Yeah, I can do that. Got something better to do?"

Li hesitates and then looks away. "..I'm going to watch a few patrols-"

"You're going to look for your uncle."

It's ridiculously easy to tell when Li is lying. Jet doesn't mind it happening, mostly because he always knows so it doesn't matter either way. Anyone else, he might actually get a bit pissy about it. But he's pretty sure even Li knows no one believes him.

"Do you have a problem with that?" Li bites back defensively and Jet can only grin around the bit of wheat at the corner of his mouth.

"Not unless you get yourself killed before the next mission," he replies as he leans against the doorframe, folding his arms over his chest. "You're part of my team, Li, not some lone swordsman. Don't forget that."

Li flushes with embarrassed annoyance. He slides a hand into his tunic and Jet's pretty sure it had closed around the Lotus tile Li refuses to admit he has. Everyone knows about it but he's stubborn. And maybe Jet likes how stubborn he is.

"I won't forget," Li mutters almost too quietly for Jet to hear. And then he stomps away like a little kid and Jet resists the urge to laugh until he's gone. Even with the world like this, at least Li's still hilarious to rile. Or maybe Jet finds it even easier to enjoy it now. He certainly feels more secure waiting for the next fight.

While Li's gone to search wherever he _hasn't_ thought to look yet, Jet gets the guys together and readies for the raid. It's not an important one, nor should it be too hard. If anyone gets injured, Jet might have to laugh his ass off at them. Laughing, he's found, takes the edge off.

The raid goes fine. And Li's still not back. Jet and Jin do a headcount before she goes off to total up the new supplies, mend things, or whatever else she does when she's not right there at his side. Jet's never really been interested in her. She's a good ally though, and she keeps their hideout nice and neat. A week ago, he caught her with a few of the guys sitting around - one even with his head in her lap - while she told stories about princesses and rampant mooselions and Earth Kingdom heroes. So maybe she's got uses he didn't think about.

Jet stays at the only window they don't keep boarded up. He stares out into the night, noting the faint edge of light on the horizon. Li's not back yet. Jet knows he shouldn't be worried yet - sometimes _he's_ gone for days between raids - but he is. Because Li's an idiot. And defensive. And stubborn. And-

It's about then that Jet realizes he's half way through the window. So he decides to go anyway. He checks the places he knows Li sometimes goes but they're empty. Actually, the whole district is empty. Li's starting to get worried and then he realizes how _stupid_ he is and turns around.

Li doesn't even move when the door to the Jasmine Dragon opens. He's kneeling on the floor of the dining room, hands resting on his knees and swords on the floor at either side. He stared towards the kitchen past the broken doors. There are scorch marks everywhere and all the tables and chairs lay in piles of pieces. Sometimes, Jet forgets how hard Li and Mushi had been working to make a life for themselves. And sometimes Jet forgets how much it hurts to not know if the only things you have left are still there.

"Li-" he starts, then watches the tension build up in Li's shoulders. He didn't mean for that, damn it, but it was Li's fault for staying out all night and-

"Sorry," Li says. His voice is rough and raw and Jet is seriously terrified he might have been crying. And that is way more than he can deal with. Li's head lowers, shaggy black hair falling around his face. "I thought I might get some firewood, but..."

Yeah. Jet gets it. He looked around, wondering just what to say, and finally centers on walking over to touch a scorch mark on the wall.

"We'll get them for this, Li. I promise we'll get them. And we'll find your uncle," he vows as he spreads his fingers over the mark. "We'll destroy the whole Fire Nation if we have to."

Li makes a sound that doesn't sound good at all but when Jet looks back, he's getting up to his feet and sliding the dual swords back into their sheath. His face is still bothered, brows set tight and jaw clenched, but he doesn't say anything. Jet wonders if the hurt of what had happened to his Uncle's tea shop would fade at all when they find the man.

_If_ they find him. Jet is just enough of a bastard to keep Li's hopes up that they might. Sure, Mushi was a kickass old guy, but that's nothing to fully trained, _young_ Fire Nation soldiers. The guy hadn't a chance in the world. But Jet doesn't tell Li that. He lets Li live in the fantasy that Mushi might still be alive and waiting. Jet knows better; Li doesn't seem to care.

"Lets go," Li says and Jet catches a clear glimpse of his face. No tears, thank fucking god, but definitely pain. Resolve. Uncertainty. Everything Li.

"Yeah," Jet mumbles and follows Li out of the tea shop. As he stares at Li's retreating back, Jet decides to try to find something Li can smile about.

3.

Days are both too slow and too fast. It just depends. The daylight hours are spent sleeping and being as quiet as possible. Fire Nation patrols more thoroughly in the day, when the sun gives them strength and courage. The fresh faced, still over-confident kids did the night patrols. Makes it easier to break up the ranks but the younger ones are more likely to do something stupid.

"You should have dodged," Li snarls out as he rips cloth from the edge of his tunic, wrapping it tight around Jet's leg. "How are you supposed to fight _now?_"

Jet just grins. It's going to take more than a heavily bleeding calf to slow him down. He'll fight until the day he dies. 'Bout time Li sees this first hand. "Aww, I knew you liked me."

Li just glares at him. "I could have gotten out of that just fine on my own. You should have _dodged_."

Jet waves it off and then curls his fingers around the hook swords again. He hadn't really thought of the consequences when he shoved Li out of the way of a crumbling wall. Maybe Li could have gotten out. Jet hadn't been ready to take that chance. Li was a damn good fighter and Jet would hate to have to replace him.

"How many left?" he asks instead of giving any kind of apology or explanation. They're still in danger right now. That can wait. Li straightens a bit and glances over the edge of the half gone wall. Jet's eyes trail over his long, white throat. Li is so pale and that dark hair just makes him even paler. It isn't that Jet really cares about looks, but damn if that doesn't make the girls at the hideout go nuts. He can kind of understand it. Besides the scar, Li is almost pretty. Not that he looks like a _girl_ or anything – the guy is fucking _ripped_ – but he's definitely a lot less gruff looking than most of the guys that have stayed behind. The girls have decided he is a soul in need of some good love.

Jet is of the mind that Li just needs to get _laid_. Period.

"Twelve," Li says. "They aren't heading for us. Too busy with Longshot and the twins. Poi's giving them trouble- Wait. Ping just bit one of their ankles."

Jet grins. He loves it when his Freedom Fighters hold their own. But this is enough of a rest. Time to get them all out of here in one piece.

"Help me up," he mutters and Li looks back, staring at him incredulously.

"You're _kidding_. You're staying here," Li says firmly. Jet gives him a dirty look but Li's not budging. "Jet, you can't even stand on your own with that wound. It's suicide!"

"Don't think for a second that it's your call."

Li's gaze falters. He's quiet a moment, almost contemplative, and then he nods.

Jet really should have expected it since Li _never_ agrees with his craziness, but he's honestly surprised when the hilt of one sword smashes against the back of his head. Jet reels for a few seconds, staring at the grim boy, and then it's dark.

When Jet wakes up, he's fucking pissed. Not only does his head ache and his leg burn, but that stupid fucker dared take _him_ out of a fight! Jet's got half a mind to kill Li himself. It's only a partial balm that his is the only serious injury from the raid.

"Where the hell is he?" Jet snarls at Smellerbee when she comes in to check his leg. She doesn't even have the decency to look guilty about the whole thing. He can hear Jin serving out dinner to the others, which is probably why she's not in here being glared at instead. _Women_.

"Out," Smellerbee says and calmly starts unwrapping his calf to clean the wound and make sure Jin's stitches are holding. Jet's pretty sick of this damned mutiny.

"He better _stay_ out," he snaps. "Anyone who can't follow my orders doesn't deserve to be called a Freedom Fighter."

Smellerbee's hands pause. She slowly looks up to his face, her own not the least bit amused.

"Maybe you should start giving orders that make _sense_," she says as her lips twist unhappily. "Jet, you could have bled out if you'd kept fighting."

"I've had worse," Jet grumbles and Smellerbee rolls her eyes. She knows better. But Jet's still pissed off about Li. "I swear, I'm gonna kill him."

"You are not," she says calmly as she wraps his calf up again. She's probably right. But he's definitely going to punch that stupid face of his.

Li, wisely, stays out of his way for a few days. Jet doesn't see hide nor hair of him and he's pretty sure he knows where Li is hiding out, but the girls and kids band together to keep him inside where it's safe. At least the others don't go out on another raid until he can walk again.

A week later, his calf hurts but the herbal poultices and salves keep it manageable while speeding his recovery. Jet can walk without a staff, though he's pretty sure the limp is going to persist for another few weeks. Jin says he's lucky to have healed _this_ much with as often as he aggravates the wound. But Jet can't stay still. He just _can't_. And there's a certain scar faced bastard he needs to deal with.

Sneaking into another district to track Li down is definitely not happening so Jet waits until Li comes back for the evening meal. He's sitting out on the steps of the hideout when Li comes out from around one of the apartment buildings. Li doesn't notice him at first but when he does, he goes still. Jet wonders why he's not happy about that hesitation. After a few moments, Li's mouth turns into a hard line and he makes determined steps up to the hideout. Jet thinks he might just pass him and go in, but Li doesn't. He stops a few feet away, hands fisted at his sides as he tries to stand tall and strong.

"I'm not apologizing," Li snaps, immediately defensive, and Jet finds it kind of hilarious when he should just be pissed off. Li sounds like a _kid_.

"Yeah, well, _that's what you think_," Jet quips back. He's not about to let Li have his way. Give someone an inch and they'll take a mile, after all.

"It was the right decision," Li says stiffly and his body's tensed as if he's gearing for more than just a spat.

"It was _my_ decision, you bastard. _Mine!_" Jet's pretty sure Li has the higher ground in this but damned if he's going to admit it. "You had no right to take that from me!"

"_You_ have a _duty_ to fulfill!" Li snarled back at him hotly, his eyes blazing with anger. "What do you think happens to these people without their leader? If you're going to get yourself killed, do it after you get them out of the city!"

Okay, so maybe he has a point. But it still makes Jet mad and he's mad enough to ignore his leg and punch Li in his stupid, scarred face. Li jerks back a step or two, then reaches up to wipe blood from his lip. It doesn't make Jet as happy as he thought it might to have split his mouth open, but he does feel a little better.

"Are you done?" Li's pretty pissed off. It's so obvious, but he's trying to rein it in. Maybe Mushi was a better influence than anyone thought.

"For now," Jet says. They go in and Jim gives him the dirtiest look for hurting her man meat, but Jet ignores her. He's got other things to think about.

4.

For the Freedom Fighters, knowing the date is just as important as being prepared for battle. The Fire Nation is ridiculously easy to predict and their patrol patterns are simple enough even the youngest kids can remember. Dates become valuable data, as they know exactly which platoons are patrolling which district areas every day. They tailor their raids to this strict timeline, knowing just who to send and when for the most damage and fewest casualties.

Jet can't read to save his life but he knows numbers and he's got a few characters under his belt. Enough that he can read the schedule, anyway, and he's memorized it anyway. He's even starting to recognize the characters Li and Gao, who claimed to have been on the Terra Team before the city fell, had written down painstakingly. Gao's handwriting is messy and rough but Li's has an almost prissy quality. Jet's pretty damn sure he was a noble by this point. You don't spend two months with a guy without figuring out his station,

But at least Li doesn't act like a noble most of the time. He's aloof, yeah, but awkward and clumsy as hell. And Jin keeps giving him mooneyes Li's got no idea what to do with.

Jet can admit to himself that he watches Li a bit too much. It's not that he's still mad about the whole knocking-him-out incident or that he suspects some foul play. He just… _watches_. Li doesn't notice but Li's too damn busy brooding to notice much outside battle. He sits in their open window a lot, holding the Lotus tile in his hand and rubbing his thumb over the flower. Not knowing what became of Mushi has to be killing him. Ping tromps over to try and pull Li into the pebble game he and the other kids are playing but Li politely waves him off. Jet's not sure why but Li does his best not to get involved in any more than the battles. Maybe some bad memory from his home.

As Tycho starts up an off key song with the little ones, Jet decides to quit pussyfooting around and strolls over to join Li at the window. The other boy stiffens but he didn't leave. Things have been pretty tense between them and Jet is kind of sick of that.

"So, big day tomorrow," Jet says casually. Li looks back out the window and stuffs the tile back into his tunic.

"Not really," Li mumbles. He's nervous and Jet knows playing a bad prank on him right now is a bad idea, but he's so tempted.

"Yea, guess not." He's not sure what to say now. Jet chews on a bit of wheat, contemplates a while, but it's Li that breaks the silence.

"We could smuggle everyone out of the city tonight."

Jet blinked a bit and then he realizes what Li's just said and glares at him. "I am _not_ giving up this city. We'll take Ba Sing Se back from those bastards and chase them back to their _own_ country. If they _get_ that far."

Li suddenly looks very uncomfortable, but he always does when Jet starts getting vicious. Jet's pretty sure even with how vicious Li can get in battle, he's still not totally okay with killing people. Jet lost that years ago.

"Hey, you know I won't ask-" Jet starts but he's cut off as Jin saunters up to them.

"We need some more water for tonight's dinner," she says and the way she looks at Jet, he's pretty sure she's trying to get him out of the way. Well. It isn't as if he planned on saying anything worth it. So he shrugs and he gets up, ignoring Li's faint panic when Jin takes his seat.

It's not to hot outside so Jet kind of enjoys the walk. He doesn't go out alone much, unless someone's having an angst fit and needs to be tracked. But just for himself? There's always shit to do.

He gets Jin's water but then he figures maybe he'll give her a little while longer to get in Li's pants. Not that Jet thinks she's smooth enough to get the job done but hey, he can wish her luck anyway. And Li could seriously use it, if she manages. Which she won't.

The district is quiet. Jet easily avoids the current patrol. Of course, they're busy sitting around a bar and joking while a few terrified girls serve them. Just a few months ago, Jet would have attacked without thinking. But he knows better now. He reads their faces, memorizes them to make sure he kills each and everyone one of them later, then goes on.

It's only minutes after getting past the soldiers, Jet comes upon a bounty board. He's amused to see his own face and the rather impressive bounty on his head. He can make out the characters of his own name but the rest of it is indecipherable. Gao's on there too, which makes Jet crack up, but when he sees Li's scar, he goes very still.

Jet has imagined what Li's life might have been once, but he isn't expecting this. Li's hair is drawn into a single ponytail, the rest shaved completely. His expression is hardened, angry, and Jet's seen enough Fire Nation uniforms to recognize the neck and shoulders of one.

Li is Fire Nation. Li is a Fire Nation _soldier_. Suddenly, Li's yellow eyes, scar, and a thousand other things make a shitload more sense.

Jet can't get back to the hideout fast enough. The poster is crushed in his hand and his heart hammers in his throat. He can already see Li slicing down everyone in the hideout and leaving none alive to run. He can see blood spill over the floor and flames rip the place apart as Li walks around with a smoldering torch in both hands. Oh _spirits_, he's going to lose _everything…_

But the hideout is still there when he darts from rooftop to rooftop and then slides to the ground. He doesn't care. He knows the carnage is there, waiting for him to find it. And Li will be laughing at him above the roar of the fires.

There's a hush as Jet bursts through the doors. More than a few of the others jerk up with their weapons, ready, and then there's confusion all around at Jet's frenzied expression.

"_You Fire Nation bastard!"_ he snarls out and then sees Li standing between him and Jin sitting in the window. His hand is on his swords. Jet attacks before he can think about anything else.

Jet's not really sure how long he ends up fighting with Li. Seconds pass achingly slow as they slash and parry and whip about each other in a dizzying dance. Jet's never fought anyone who can keep up with him this well and even though he knows he should hate this and focus on that hate, he can't. He can't because this is _Li_, with those awkward looks and getting flustered and sucking at lying and-

Blood spills from Li's cheek as he jerks back, something finally landed. Li is panting, his chest heaving, and his eyes were bright and alert. His grip on the dual swords hasn't wavered, haven't dropped an inch. He's ready to start again. But Jet's not. If he does, he knows he's going to rip Li to pieces. And for some reason, he can't stand that.

"GO!" he bellows. Li takes a step back, his brows tight as regret flashes over his face. He's so damn easy to read Jet can't stand it anymore. "_GO!"_

Li doesn't wait another moment. He sheathes the swords and then he's gone, disappearing into the alleys. Jet wishes he could feel triumphant about this. But he doesn't.

Even after shoving the poster into their faces, the others don't seem all too pleased with him. Gao takes it from him finally and Jet doesn't see it again. Which is good. He doesn't think he can stomach the sight of Li's face.


	2. Chapters 5 thru 8

**Hooked**

5.

Nobody talks about Li. It's an unwritten rule that everyone follows religiously. Li's things are packed away and kept out of sight. Jet's pretty sure Gao's the one who's got it all, since he and Li were friends. As much friends as Li would let anyone be.

Not that Jet fucking cares. He doesn't. Li is Fire Nation _scum_. He was going to betray them eventually. Jet's just pissed he didn't kill him when he had the chance. Now Li will be back with his own kind and keeping the city occupied and Jet will kill him the next time they meet. Make no mistake of that.

With no one to hold him back and Smellerbee and Longshot's words falling on deaf ears, Jet does whatever the fuck he wants. The raids get more daring and bloody. Only the sound of wounded Fire Nation soldiers soothes him. He fights and kills and laughs louder than fire blasts could ever be. Jet's pretty sure he's never felt so alive.

Except when it's dark and he's laying in his hammock, surrounded by sleeping children and fighters, and all he can think about is the look on Li's face when he sent him away.

But he doesn't _have_ to think about that. There's the next mission and the next problem and ten million things to do. Jet can deal. He's dealing just _fine_.

And suddenly realizing that someone else got here first.

Jet looks over the Fire Nation soldiers dispassionately. He thinks about killing them, since all six men are still breathing and their wounds aren't life threatening. But that would waste precious seconds he can think about later. Jet signals to Smellerbee and Gao, who both back off while he moves silently forward through the storehouse. He doesn't hear anything but something in his guts tells him that the culprit is still here. Jet's gonna take his damn head for getting into his business. They search the building but all they find is two more unconscious soldiers.

It isn't the last time. Over the next few weeks, Jet sees this over and over. He doesn't know if anything's missing from whatever store they're raiding, but the soldiers are out cold when they get there. Jet's pissed. It's not just about the _food_, much as Jin harps about their supplies. He's missing out on chances, opportunities… He wants to _kill_, damn it, because that's the only thing that makes him feel better anymore.

There are stories through the Fire Nation ranks of a spirit with a blue mask attacking in the dead of night too fast to escape. Jet listens to them intently but when he hears about two swords, he stops. Because he doesn't fucking care.

Gao gives him odd looks. Jet doesn't really get what the hell his problem is, but sometimes he sees the man whispering with Jin and while he wonders about mutiny, Jet lets it happen. Maybe they'll get it out of their system. Same with the rest of his damned crew. Even Smellerbee's giving him the cold shoulder.

Of course, not _everyone's_ pissed at him. A few of them are on his side. Li was a fucking Fire Nation plant. It's so _obvious_. No one can be that stupid.

A month after Li's departure, a raid goes sour. More sour than he'd ever thought possible. Jet knows they can't get out. They're surrounded on all sides and there's a Dai Li agent on the fucking Firebenders' side – _what the fuck is with that? – _that's giving Gao and Poi a run for their money. They're all going to die and Jet knows it's Li's fault. Somehow, all of it is Li's fault.

Except a man in a snarling blue mask and dual swords suddenly cuts a path. Jet doesn't hesitate. He screams at the others to _go_, damn it, get the hell out of here! Suddenly, the "Blue Spirit" is _real_ and _there_ and _it's so damn good to fight with someone like this_. Jet forgets about Li, about how shitty the past month has been, about everything, and just fights. He and the Blue Spirit weave around one another, guarding their backs as they cut down soldier after soldier.

The Blue Spirit blocks an oncoming fire blast with his blades before Jet darts past him to knock another soldier hard into a crumbling wall. The air is hot and Jet can barely breathe through smoke and dust, but it's so damn _good_. He can do this. He can live in battle and laugh as blood splatters over the ground.

It's only later, when he can't hear any of the others and his body is so tired he can't rise from his knees anymore, that Jet realizes he's surrounded again and there is fire burning from six palms, just waiting for a reason. He pants for breath and grins up at the angry faces. Jet wonders if he's got enough in him for one last push. He's pretty sure he doesn't but he thinks about trying anyway. Jet is indestructible, of course.

But he realizes there's someone else still there, kneeling and surrounded and almost complacent. The Blue Spirit isn't really all that blue, Jet decides. The whole outfit is black, disregarding the mask, and kind of ridiculous, now that he isn't fighting. Jet decides he'll have to rub that in later when they're getting executed.

Turns out, he and the Blue Spirit are the only ones caught, but when Jet wakes up in a cell, chained up against the wall, it's Li he ends up seeing on the other side of the cell.

Li's still out, his body slumped and still. His pale wrists are bruised up and blood is still speckled over his skin and hair. Jet can feel the violence rising inside him, the need to throw Li out of existence because seeing him makes all those uncomfortable feelings rush back at him and he's not ready for this.

He thought he'd go into a murderous rage if he saw Li's face again. But there it is, slack and calm, and Jet traces over the lines of his scar with the same sick fascination he's had since they met. He doesn't even want to rip out Li's eyes. Not that he doesn't want to punch Li until he sees some blood, of course-

Li's yellow, Fire Nation eyes open.

_Fuck_.

Jet stays very still as Li wakes up. He watches the wince of awareness, fingers clenching and figuring out the shackles. He listens to a quiet moan of pain and the shift of clothing as Li lifts his head. He hears the soft intake of breath and Jet knows Li's realized he's there. He doesn't need to look into _those_ eyes for that.

Li doesn't say anything. He tries to mask it but Jet still knows how to read his face and he can see pain and regret and even anger. Jet doesn't really know what the fuck he's supposed to do now. He glances up at his own shackles but the Fire Nation bastards have been uncharacteristically careful. He's pretty sure they recognized him.

Jet goes back to staring at Li, who's tying to pretend he's not there and is glaring at a crack in the wall. The fuck happens _now?_ Jet hates being this uncomfortable. Is he supposed to start insulting Li now or in an hour when they're too stressed out by each other's presences to care who throws the first curse? No way does Li not have a stash ready for him after throwing him out of the hideout-

"They're coming," Li says suddenly, eyes focusing on the door. Now that he's out of his own head, Jet can hear footsteps as well. He takes a breath and then his face splits from ear to ear.

Fuck if he'd ever show those Fire Nation bastards fear.

6.

Jet's pretty sure something inside him's been ruptured. The Fire Nation has different ideas of interrogation than the Dai Li. Namely, blunt force. Jet's probably been more black and blue than this before, but he can't remember when and it's kind of hard to think about it when he's laying in his cell and breathing as shallowly as he can.

The soldier only asked him one question, over and over. _Where is the hideout?_ Jet's way too savvy to tell him, of course, but the guy is just getting more and more angry. That might be because Jet's trying out every insult he can remember to see just what makes them go ballistic.

It's been a week since he saw Li. At least, he's pretty sure it's a week. He figures they're feeding him twice a day and he's keeping count. They took Li the first time they came and they haven't brought him back. Jet isn't worried, of course. Li's still Fire Nation scum.

But it's _really_ boring in his cell without someone to bitch at. And Jet's got plenty to bitch about. The room service here _sucks_. He's hoping maybe they'll bump him from coach if he complains enough.

By the time Jet can breath relatively naturally and gotten himself sitting up against the wall, he hears footsteps. Jet groans inwardly. Jeez, they could at least wait until he'd had some _sleep_-

The door opens but instead of his usual escorts, it's two new guards with a sodden mess of a man between them. They toss the body onto the floor, where he immediately curls up, arms folded over his body.

"What happened to flowers?" gets Jet a slap in the face before the grunting Fire Nation soldiers storm out again. Jet gives them a dirty look through the door, then crawls over to figure out who the hell they just saddled him with. He's reaching out with his cuffed hands and then the body shudders and the head jerks back and it's Li, glaring at him defiantly through soaked black hair. Jet wonders why he's surprised. But seriously, he'd been half convinced Li got executed already.

"What'd they do, dunk you in a vat?" Jet asks because shit, what the hell else is he supposed to do? His eyes track to Li's far too pale skin and notes the faint blue tinge to his lips. Jet starts to shove Li's shaggy hair out of his face before he can think not to, examining bruising on his cheek instead of staring more at those lips. And he realizes that Li is ice cold. It's about that moment when Li starts shivering violently. "Shit, man, what the hell?"

"G-gotta keep me c-cold… k-keep me from b-bending," Li manages through his clenched jaws. Jet nods a little because, yeah, he can understand that, what with fire-

Fire. Jet's eyes jerk back to Li's face, back to his yellow, Fire Nation, _firebending_ eyes-

Before Jet can think about it, his hands are around Li's throat. It's awkward; the cuffs cut into his wrists harshly with the way he's forcing them to bend, but he doesn't care. Suddenly, the man under him is every Fire Nation soldier he's ever seen, every Fire Nation citizen that sat back and let this happen, ever firebender who'd hurt anyone. Jet grins. He watches that hated face twist with fear, watches the mighty soldier starting to drift away. So he clenches his hands tighter. Because he's not letting those bastards get away. He's never letting them go.

Jet can hear his own voice but he doesn't have a clue what he's saying. It doesn't matter. All that matters is that he's killing the whole Fire Nation _right here_. His hands are suddenly his parent's hands. One hand is his mother's, the other his father's. One arm belongs to his older brother and the other his deadbeat aunt. One shoulder is Longshot's uncle and the other Smellerbee's village. Each finger belongs to Pipsqueak's grandparents, Sneer's older sister, the Duke's parents. They're all together, killing the abomination known as the Fire Nation, and Jet has never been so elated in his _life-_

And then he sees Li. He sees the expression on Li's face that he saw when they realized Mushi was gone. When Jet threw him out of the hideout. The one that's been tormenting him because it's so real and raw and easy to see and it _hurts_. Jet sees Li and Li is dying under him, too weak to even beat at him all that hard with his stone cuffs. And Jet realizes he doesn't want Li to die.

Before Jet knows he's moved, his back hits the wall. Li lays in a gasping, shuddering pile as he wheezes through his abused throat. For a long time, there's no sound other than those painful noises Li makes.

_Fuck_.

He did _not_ mean to do that.

Li glares at him when he can actually _breathe_. Jet's going to have nightmares about those noises for weeks, if not months.

"If you're g-gonna kill m-me," Li snarls, his body rigid as he tries to tone down the shivering, "j-just _do_ it."

"Oh shut up," Jet mutters and it doesn't sound as laid back as he wishes it did. He's kind of freaked out. But Li ignores it and just pulls himself over to the opposite side of the cell. He drags his knees to his chest, glaring at Jet over them. And yeah, okay, Jet can pretty much understand that.

"You're a firebender," Jet says and he feels kind of numb inside. Jeez, you'd think he'd already gotten the worst surprise already. But being a Fire Nation soldier is way different from being a damned _Firebender_. Jet rakes his fingers through his head. Shit. This is so screwed up. "How long have you been a fucking _firebender?_"

"How long d-do you _think?"_ Li's pissed again and… okay, he has reason to be. But it still puts him on edge.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Li laughs. It's one harsh, bitter noise, and then he's glaring again full force. "B-because you're s-so approachable!"

That stings. Jet rethinks not killing him. And then he realizes it's a little too soon to be joking about that when he can still feel Li's skin under his fingers. But he's still pissed and Li is being an unreasonable prick and it's his fault for not being upfront in the first place.

"Is Li even your _name?_" Jet snaps back. Li stiffens, his lip curling, and if he weren't still shivering and soaked, Jet might think he's in danger.

"D-do you even care? Does it _m-matter?"_

Maybe it doesn't. Jet's way too on edge. He really, really wishes he could have his empty, boring cell back for himself again.

They don't talk after that. Li huddles on his side, trying to warm up, but at least he doesn't try to use any bending, if he even can. If Jet sees fire, he's pretty sure he'll kill Li and _nothing_ will stop him this time.

In the morning, Jet's not really surprised when he wakes up to Li's fist. He might have deserved that. That doesn't keep him from trying to break Li's nose before Li's taken away again by the guards.

Jet doesn't see Li for another week. He counts meals and waits and thinks about firebenders.

7.

The rescue is expected. Blowing up half the complex kind of _isn't_. But then Jet remembers that these are the Freedom Fighters he's talking about here. They're almost a little early, Jet thinks. He was kind of hoping he'd get a chance to meet the head honcho he's been annoying for the past few months.

In any case, he ends up getting hit with debris despite their best efforts. Gao breaks the cuffs and hauls him up to his feet and then they're fighting. The guys didn't find Jet's swords when they got there, but someone shoves a dagger into his hand and Jet's good enough with that for now.

Ping and Poi work effortlessly together. It's kind of hilarious to hit someone in the face with a rock and then split their ankles, Jet thinks, and the twins take down way more soldiers than he'd expect with such a tactic. Gao's knocking people into walls and smashing them to pieces and Jet finds it far too easy to zip into the enemy's space and slice throats. Fire Nation soldiers howl and moan with pain as life gurgles out of them and that's just how Jet likes it.

They meet the others and immediately start booking it. They got places to be and people to kill and Jet's not about to get his people stuck there. They find the weapons store on accident and Jet finds his hook swords, which he probably would have gone back for anyway once the others were out. They feel so good in his hands. Even two weeks away from his precious babies is too much.

Somehow, the Freedom Fighters have managed to get in and out without too much commotion. Or, rather, there's a _lot_ of commotion but they get out _anyway_. Sirens wail like mad and Jet can't help but grin. After two weeks of nothing but stone walls and interrogation, he's more than ready for some action.

"What about Li?" Tycho is the first to realize Li's not with them – the second group figured Gao had found him when he got Jet.

Suddenly Jet's battle high is kind of _not_. Li the Fire Nation _firebender_… But he isn't ready to say that to the others and it's obvious they aren't leaving without him. So Jet takes a breath and figures he'll kill Li himself if the guy ends up betraying them.

So he and Gao go back in as the others distract the soldiers. Everyone's there, a huge fucking attack and Jet's pretty sure he's never been so proud. But he has to find Li now. So he'll congratulate them later.

Most of the soldiers are already outside so Jet and Gao meet little resistance. They search each endless hall, bursting in on other prisoners that they let find their own way out. They're busy. It's just as Jet's willing to give up that they find Li.

Almost fully submerged in a vat of ice and water.

Gao jumps up to the ledge surrounding the vat's opening and pulls Jet with him. A bit of bending after Jet's got hold of the back of Li's shirt and the cuffs come free. Li weighs a _lot_ more drenched but Jet gets him out without too much difficulty.

"Is he breathing?" Gao asks and Jet can't feel anything from Li's mouth but when he rips open sodden cloth, he can hear a faint, quick rhythm in Li's chest.

"He's alive," Jet confirms. Ice cold, unconscious, tinged blue, and not even shivering, but alive. He drags Li onto his back, ignoring the cold water that soaks into his clothes, and they get out amid more explosions. As soon as the others see them, the Freedom Fighters scatter. Gao stays to make sure no one gets stranded but Jet takes off with Li back to the hideout.

Despite his hurry, Jet still takes the long way. He can't let those bastards find their _home_, not with how adamant they were about doing so. Not when they'd razz it to the ground and kill everyone. It's only a small balm that Li doesn't seem to have told them yet.

Jin throws open the door and runs out to meet them before Jet can get up the stairs. Between them, they drag Li's dead weight onto one of the cots instead of the hammock he'd claimed before. Closing hanging sheets "walls" around them to keep the others from watching, Jet looks back at Li while Jin checks to make sure he's still breathing. He hasn't started shivering and looks uncomfortably _dead_, but Jin doesn't freak and neither will Jet.

"Get him undressed," Jin orders and then gets to the kitchen to start warming water. And it's harder than Jet thought it would be until he decides the tunic is done for and just cuts the damn thing right off. Jin takes over after that and Jet backs out of the makeshift room only to be bombarded by the ones left home and those that had gotten back from the rescue. Jet doesn't know what to tell them so he makes strained jokes and boastful remarks about the prowess of his warriors and the stupidity of the Fire Nation.

That night, when the others are asleep, Jet pokes his head past the sheets and he kind of has to stare for a few seconds to realize what's going on.

Li looks a little better. He's not _blue_ anymore, but he's still way too pale. Jin's head rests on his chest and her slim arm is over his chest. Jet can barely make out the sleeve of her slip and that's the thing that breaks him out of the weirdest supposition that Jin finally got lucky. Right. Like she'd be into _corpses_. Jin likes them fiery, apparently.

Fuck. There's a firebender in his Freedom Fighters. He supposes this can be a good thing, but it's so damn weird he can barely stand it. Jet stares down at Li's face, wondering, but then he hears his name. He slips back out past the sheets and Gao is waiting for him, serious as ever.

"Jet, what are we going to do with him?" Gao asks quietly, his voice hushed. Jet doesn't know. He hasn't got a clue what to do with this. Grabbing Gao's arm, he leads the guy outside before he doesn't want anyone to overhear them.

"He's a bender," Jet says when the door is shut behind them and they're open to the starry sky. "He's a fucking _firebender_."

"I know," Gao murmurs gravely. "How could he _not_ be?"

Jet frowns and glances at him. "What do you mean?"

"Jet, a wound like that required _substantial_ heat. Heat enough to certain burn away something as soft as an _eye_," Gao murmurs, touching the skin under his left eye. "Anyone other than a firebender would have lost the whole eye and probably died of _shock_."

He can get that. Jet did always find it weird that Li still had sight in both eyes, much less _had_ both. He figured it was some freak luck but honestly, he should have realized Li's luck is for _shit_.

"So what now?" Jet asks because sometimes, he's okay remembering that Gao is older and could possibly be wiser – only _sometimes_.

"If he survives the night," Gao murmurs, folding his arms over his barrel chest, "then you have a decision. You can either throw him out on the street again or you can let a firebender stay with us."

Jet knew that. But somehow, it seems more real when Gao says it. Jet looks out over the run down, quiet district.

"His name isn't Li, is it?" Jet says softly.

Gao sighs a little. "That's not what's written on his wanted poster."

Jet wishes it was.

8.

Li, or, well, _not_ Li, wakes up two days later. Nobody knows it until he pokes his head out from his curtained room and then they are all deafened as Jin calls his name and launches herself at him. They end up on the floor with Jin giving fervent apologies and helping him get up. Li is weak and shaky. He has to lean against Jin to stay standing.

Jet is in the doorway to the kitchen, arms folded over his chest as he watches his Freedom Fighters swarm the firebender. They're worried and relieved and watchful. Longshot reaches out and ruffles Li's hair but Smellerbee leans against the wall near Jet, just waiting. She might not be as paranoid as he is, but she knows to be careful of the Fire Nation, no matter how nice one seems.

When Li lifts his gaze over Ping's head and looks towards him, there's a moment where _that look_ is back but then Li finds something else to hold his attention. Jet finds himself both glad and disappointed.

"Gao, get the poster!" Jin says with excitement, still handing on Li's side even after he'd sat down on the cot again. Gao shakes his head and then pulls out the poster that started it all from his tunic. When Li sees it, his face goes white and the faint mirth drains out completely. He takes it from Gao's hands and stares at his image as if he doesn't recognize his own face.

"Why do you still have this?" he asks, his voice quiet and almost rough. Jin pauses and then Jet sees it as she realizes she's upset him. He looks at her, then back to the poster.

"I thought it might be a good idea," Gao says, crossing his arms. "After all, we have a right to know about our comrades."

"Like your name," Jin says, trying to smile. Li glares at the poster.

"That's not how I write my name," he murmurs quietly, bitter. "It's the wrong characters."

Jin pats his shoulder. Jet's had just about enough of the little word games. He walks over, the Freedom Fighters parting ways for him, and takes the poster. Li looks a lot better now, he thinks. Less Fire Nation, more _normal human being_.

"So what's it say?" he asks as he gives Li a hard look. Li's brows furrow and his jaw clenches, but he still answers.

"Zuko."

"That doesn't sound a thing like Li."

"That was the _point_."

Jet gives the poster another dirty look, then shoves it back into Li's hands. "So burn it, then. That's not you anymore."

Abruptly, the whole place goes quiet. Jin gives Jet a confused look, then glances at Li but Li's ignoring her. He stares back at Jet, grim and not willing to back down, and Jet waits.

When a flicker of fire forms in Li's palm and the poster burns up to ashes, no one says a word. No one had connected Fire Nation soldier with firebender, nor had Jet or Gao told them anything. Li calmly brushes ashes from his palm and doesn't look back up. There's no other movement for nearly a minute and then Jin slowly steps back. Before anyone can state the obvious, Li sighs softly.

"Yes, I'm a firebender," he grumbles out and the only reason everyone can hear him is because most of them are barely breathing. He gets up, swaying a bit from weakness, and then continues, "I was pretty sure you all would just kill me if you knew. So I'm going to walk outside and you can decide what you think about that."

Jet is honestly surprised that Li doesn't fall the hell over on the way to the door. He watches every step and after the door shuts behind him, he keeps watching.

"Gao," he says and Gao doesn't ask. He heads out after Li. Jet looks back to the others and finds dozens of eyes locked onto him. Waiting. Jet sets his hands on his hips. Okay then. Time to work some magic.

It only takes the Freedom Fighters about twenty seconds to get over their stupor and start shouting over each other. Jet controls it as best he can but honestly, what can he say? He's got the same fears and had the same nightmares. And he wants to believe the ones who said it didn't matter. They talk and argue and bitch into the night. In the end, most of them are cranky and unhappy about this or that, but they'd at least come to a decision.

Li is, of course, sitting out on the stairs when Jet comes out. Gao gives him a glance, then nods a greeting before ducking inside. Jet's glad Gao's old enough to read minds. Maybe if he lives long enough, he can get old man powers too. Not that Gao is _that_ old. So maybe next year.

"So when is my execution?" Li asks. He doesn't look back to see who's come out. He doesn't need to.

"You've got a stay of it for now," Jet says absently as he steps down to lean on one of the pillars that had, at one point, held up a balcony upstairs. When there _was_ an upstairs.

"Great," Li mutters. His hands are resting in his lap and the Lotus tile is held in one, thumb rubbing over the carved flower. Jet stares at it for a while. He remembers that Jin set it on the bed next to Li as he slept.

And it's the Lotus tile that makes Jet blurt out, "Are you gonna stay?"

Li looks up. His brows are furrowed, eyes uneasy. He stares for a few moments, then looks down at the tile. He doesn't hide it away just yet.

"I don't know," Li says softly. "I thought I might leave Ba Sing Se. Try to find my uncle."

For some reason, Jet's comforted that Mushi really _is_ Li's uncle. Even if Li isn't Li and Mushi might not be Mushi. He doesn't really know what he feels about Li leaving. In a way, it would make things a shitload easier, but… Just as Jet didn't want Li to die, he doesn't want him to go. He's seen a lot of people go.

Jet pushes away from the pillar and steps closer to Li. The firebender stiffens, unsure, but then Jet holds out one of his hook swords and Li takes it with confusion.

"Show me your name," Jet says. Li doesn't understand at first, so Jet adds, "You said the characters were wrong. So show me how it's supposed to be."

Li is still for a few more seconds. Then he gets up a bit wobbly and starts to write into the packed dirt of the street. Jet doesn't really get what he's seeing but somehow, these characters seem to suit Zuko better than the others.

"_Su _and _ke_," Li says when he's done. His eyes stay on the writing. "Zuko."

"Yeah," Jet murmurs. "Okay then."

Li starts to write again and after a moment, Jet realizes it's _his_ name. Silently, Li hands back the hook sword. Jet looks from one set of characters, then the other. Somehow, it kind of fits to see them that way.

They stand in silence for a while.


	3. Chapters 9 thru 12

**Hooked**

9.

In the end, Li stays for a week. It's awkward and quiet when he's around. No one knows what to say to him or even what to call him. Half the Freedom Fighters try "Zuko" out but the rest stay with "Li", just like Jet does.

Jin doesn't talk to him at all. She barely looks at him. The day after he woke up, Jet finds her crying with Gao, the earthbender patting her back. Jet wonders if this reaction is any better than his own was. Probably. At least she's crying to Gao and not him.

When Li leaves, it's quietly. Jet gets up and Li's things are gone and so is Li. Jet's always been a light sleeper but Li's good at sneaking around. Still, when Jet feels the folded blanket left in Li's hammock, it's faintly warm. Jet thinks about going after him.

Then he's out the door before he can convince himself otherwise. Li can't be far and Jet's faster than him and-

And…

And what then?

Jet stops in the middle of the street, panting in the cool morning air. Why the hell is he chasing after a _firebender_ he doesn't even know what to _do_ with? Was he even chasing Zuko and not just the swordsman Li? It's a little disconcerting that Jet can and has seen the two identities as completely separate people.

When he realizes he's been standing there far too long to find Li's trail again, Jet heads back to the hideout. He knows he won't find Li. The guy practically wrote the book on being stealthy, when he's not embarrassing the crap out of himself. So Jet knows if Li doesn't want to get followed, he won't be.

Jet knows he probably won't ever see the guy again. And… that's okay. It _is_. He can deal. It's not like he even liked Li or anything. Stupid, stubborn, brainless Li…

Smellerbee finds Jet sitting on the steps and sits beside him. She's quiet and content for a long time and Jet's kind of glad to have her company. The girl knows how to appreciate a little silence. And she knows when to end it.

"Things will likely go more smoothly, now," Smellerbee says without looking at him. Jet grunts some kind of answer, arms resting on his knees as he stares at the street. "But it'll be harder after losing that guy."

"We'll manage. Freedom Fighters _always_ manage," Jet mutters almost bitterly. He finds he doesn't _want_ to just manage. He wants… Well…

"Don't forget that," Smellerbee says with a smirk before giving his shoulder a nudge.

Days pass very quickly when you don't pay attention to them and Jet doesn't. He wakes up for missions and then goes back into his rut. Frankly, it's _annoying_. When Jet's thinking clearly, he's appalled with himself. And then he's thinking about _Li_. Jet doesn't think he'll ever be able to call him Zuko. Zuko is a firebender, but _Li_…

Jet knows he's fucked up. That's okay with him.

It gets easier after the first week. And then the second. And Jet figures he can forget Li ever existed. It's not like he's coming back. The ones Jet lets go of _never_ come back. But at least he knows Li can take care of himself. Even if he's an idiot.

It's easier not to think about Li.

For a while, Jet manages. It's three weeks after Li left. Jet leads the more stealthy part of their group carefully around a fire nation patrol. They don't have time to play with the soldiers. Later, though. For now, they make their way on to one of the closer storehouses. The supplies are low and Jin warned him the other day that they'd need a big job to sustain themselves. After all, they keep finding new people for their cause. More mouths to feed.

The storehouse is guarded but Jet knows his kids can take them. And they do. It's spectacular to watch and Jet does once the first couple soldiers are taken care of. Regular infantry, non-benders. The Freedom Fighters beat them so damn easily, it's pathetic.

When they get inside, they realize _why_ and Jet wonders how he could be such a fucking retard.

The doors close suddenly behind them and Smellerbee shouts out a warning only a moment before a fire blast shoots for him. Jet barely dodges and then he grins around the wheat he was chewing on. He jumps into the fight without a thought, screaming out the charge, and the Freedom Fighters storm in with him.

There are ten firebenders, a dozen or so regular infantry, and Jet's only got nine fighters. But he likes those odds. If one of the kids gets hurt, yeah, he'll switch to retreat mode, but right now they're fighting beautifully and it's all he can do to keep watch on his own fight and not theirs.

The fire nation knows his face and they try to take him down first but he's not having it. Jet strikes and kicks and _bites_ his way through man after man, dodging fire and fists alike. He keeps the firebenders in close quarters because most of them just like chucking fire at people from far off. It makes them stupid, confused, and Jet's taken care of four of them before he hears a shout from Gao. Jet turns and realizes he doesn't have time to dodge a fire ball that big.

Turns out he doesn't have to.

A pair of dual swords dissipate the blast. They're held by a man in black. A man with a blue mask. A spirit who isn't very blue. Jet almost has a heart attack.

After that, the battle turns. Jet calls for a retreat and the Blue Spirit helps them get out. Not that Jet needed him there, of course. Jet is the_ shit_.

But when it's over and everyone is inside, safe and being cared for, Jet stays out on the street, staring at the Blue Spirit. After a few moments, the Blue Spirit removes the mask and a pair of familiar yellow, fire nation, firebender eyes look out. And even then, it's still not _Zuko_.

"Li," Jet says and he's kind of weirded out about how soft his voice is. Li's face is serious and bothered, brows furrowed above his troubled eyes.

"I'm leaving the city. They've taken my uncle back to the Fire Nation," Li says and he sounds almost regretful. "I wanted… I needed to say goodbye."

"Hell of a way to do it," Jet snorts, folding his arms over his chest. He has to joke. If he doesn't he might tell Li to stay.

Li just looks at him and takes a step closer and then another. He holds out his hand. Jet starts to take it without a thought but then there are hands on his face and a body pressing to his and lips and _fuck_, Li tastes good.

Jet curls his fingers in thick hair and licks into Li's hot, wet mouth. He doesn't think about it, just enjoys it, and when Li makes a soft, wanting sound between their lips, Jet almost throws him to the ground _right then_.

But then it's over. Li draws back. His lips are plump and red and his cheeks flushed scarlet. Jet almost drags him back but Li's already pulling from his grip. They don't speak. Li leaves quietly and Jet lets him.

10.

It's about two days after Li's gone that Jet realizes not only did he kiss Li but he kissed a _guy_ and had, at the time, wanted to do _way_ more than that. The very idea made him stop dead in the middle of a training session with one of the younger Freedom Fighters and nearly drop his hook swords. He nearly gets skewered but a rock knocks the sword just far enough to miss Jet's body. Jet gives Gao a grateful look and the older man lifts a brow. Jet knows he's in for a talk later. Practice ends and everyone files out to go get food from Jin or to rest. Everyone but Gao, who waits by the door with his arms folded over his chest.

"So," he says diplomatically, "Daydreaming?"

"No," Jet mutters. He really just wants to blow this off. But Gao is a true earthbender: stubborn to the core and unmovable. And Gao's been watching him since the failed ambush.

"Then I suppose that was some kind of feint you were teaching."

Jet rolls his eyes. But Gao waits and Jet tries to wait _longer_… but he _wasn't_ blessed with the patience of a rock. He sighs, rucking a hand through his hair, then looks off at anything that _isn't_ Gao.

"…You ever liked someone?"

Gao blinks. Apparently, he wasn't expecting that. "Maybe you should clarify that so that I don't give you bad advice."

"You know what I'm talking about," Jet grumbles, "You just want to embarrass me."

Thin lips quirk as Gao lets out a snort. "Maybe."

Jet wants to hit him. Really, really hard. But he doesn't. Instead he just kicks a dust ball around until he figures out what he's trying to say.

"Have you ever had someone you.. felt strongly about."

"That depends," Gao says diplomatically. "I feel strongly for my little brothers-"

"Not that kind," Jet snaps. If Gao doesn't stop acting like an idiot…

Gao smirks a little. "Yes, Jet. I've had a crush on someone before."

"It's not a crush," Jet feels compelled to say. Gao just grins. Jet would enjoy stabbing him very much. "Okay. _Fine_. It's a crush. So what now?"

"Usually, one would _tell_ the person how they feel." For some reason, Jet's pretty damn sure Gao is going to pick on him for this as long as he can.

"Okay, so after that?"

"You _told_ him?"

Jet stops. And turns. And stares. "What to you mean him!"

Gao gives him a look. The one that says "stop being a dumbass and figure it out". Jet glances off. Okay. Whatever. Gao's omnipresent. He should really stop being surprised by that.

"Jet," Gao says in a gentler tone, "I'm sorry he didn't stay."

Jet so did not want to talk about this. He looks here and there and everywhere and somehow ends up on his feet in the end. "He had other places to be… Unlike Jin."

There is a pause and then Gao lets out a bewildered, "Jin?"

"Jin. Short girl, cooks food, makes a fuss about bedtime?" Jet's pretty damn pleased with how easily he's changed this conversation. When he looks at Gao, the guy is kind of flabbergasted. And it's hilarious. "You two have been spending a _lot_ of time together lately…"

Gao blinks and then he slaps a hand to his forehead. "You think I- with _Jin?_"

"She's a hot number, I guess," Jet says, thoroughly enjoying flapping the unflappable instead of _getting_ flapped. "A bit flat but hey, what are you gonna do?"

"You're _insane_," Gao shoots back. "Jin is _completely_ off limits for _countless_ reasons."

"Oooooh, I get it," Jet teases. "You're _shy_."

"She's not even marriageable age!"

"That's never stopped real love."

For a second, Gao looks as green as his clothes. "Jet. I am _not_ into Jin. She's too young and, trust me, even if she wasn't, she's not even near my type."

"So what _is_ your type?" Jet says with a smirk as he comes closer to needle a bit more. Gao flushes and flounders and mutters a few things that aren't quite making sense. But it's still funny as hell. Way funnier than thinking about what he feels and how bereft he's been left.

Fate, it seems, likes Gao better. Tycho pops his head in the door to tell them that Jin needs him and Ga escapes. Jet steps over to the door to watch them go, noting the concern Tycho shows, the quiet way he asks, "Did I interrupt a moment or something…?"

And Jet has to snicker. Because yeah, he kind of did but maybe it's for the best. Jet heads on to sit on the roof for a few hours and think about… Well. Things that aren't complicated. Things that don't involve Li and feelings and… all that.

As the days go by, it becomes easier and easier to push it all back and just concentrate. There are so many missions to run and Fire Nation to kill. He can drown himself in it, so he does. Night after night after night…

That is, until reinforcements bring Jet just the edge he needs. Until Mushi comes back with an army of men who look way too old to be any use but are doing more damage singly than his Freedom Fighters could. All together… Well.

Ba Sing Se is freed in _hours_. In a way, Jet's almost pissed about that. But then he realizes it doesn't matter who does the job, as long as it gets _done_. The Fire Nation is sent running and those who dare stay behind are thrown in prison or killed right off, when Jet has his say.

The generally unseen Dai Li end up being found hanging around the idiot general left in charge of the city, but they stand down as soon as they realize there's no one to come to their aid and the city has fallen into newer, more capable hands. If there's anything that characterizes the Dai Li, it's how willing they are to follow a strong leader and Mushi, more than just about anyone Jet's ever met, is a surprisingly strong leader.

After the general's surrender, Jet's… kind of lost. The city's been saved and after sending the Dai Li and Freedom Fighters out to ferret out any lingering soldiers, Jet really doesn't have anything to do and he realizes he had no intention of surviving the siege in the first place.

So Jet does what he always does. He tries to find a new battle.

11.

The Order of the White Lotus takes up residence in Mushi's tea shop- No. Not Mushi. His name is _Iroh_, the Dragon of the West. And when Jet finds out, the faulty vision of a fat old tea maker is blown out so far that he can't think of the man as anything _but_ Iroh.

Iroh, the brother of Firelord Ozai… and uncle to _Prince_ Zuko, heir to the throne.

That one kind of breaks Jet's brain. He knew Li was highborn, but a _prince?_ So Jet has what anyone else would call a mild nervous breakdown and what he thinks of as a bad day. It would have been so much easier if he'd just been able to figure out where the next battlefront was, but no. The universe is having a great fucking time messing with his head.

Jet sits on the Jasmine Dragon's roof. He's left the Freedom Fighters under Smellerbee and Longshot's rule and the old guys are distracted enough in getting the city back up and running outside of Fire Nation rule. That gives Jet the freedom he needs to _wig the shit out_.

It's not just Zuko, though that issue is way too weird and big to deal with right now. It's…

When the general surrendered, Mu-_Iroh_ set a hand on his shoulder and congratulated him on holding for so long. Said Jet would have managed it on his own and the White Lotus just happened to come in right as he did. Acknowledged his efforts. And that's _huge_. Jet's never really had anyone do that since his parents died. Not someone other than the lonely, pained kids he led. It's… Jet doesn't know what to _do_ with that.

And then it's Ba Sing Se and the fact that Jet's been successful in liberating it. He never realized just how much he'd wanted success until he had it right in his hands. Picking off stranded soldiers and passersby was nothing like freeing the great city.

And after that, _only_ after all that, there's Li and Zuko and _the firelord's heir_.

Jet buries his head in his hands, curling his fingers tight in his hair as he just breathes for a while. He can hear the others moving around near by and down inside the teashop but mostly he just feels the wind and tries to calm down. He's held his shit together longer than he thought he could for the sake of the Freedom Fighters, but…

It takes a while but his lungs finally decide to bend to his will. His heart slows along with them but it's longer before his fingers stop twitching. And then he's okay. Mostly. Well, he _will_ be. Jet's not about to let himself not be.

"I do not mean to interrupt your ruminating, Jet, but may I join you?"

Jet nearly jumps out of his skin. But he doesn't because, _duh_, he's Jet. He lifts his head and looks towards the unassuming man. Jet's seen Iroh fight and the guy is a total beast, but at moments of rest, he's still having trouble remembering that.

"Not like I can stop you," Jet says uncomfortably as he gets up, stretching his arms over his head. As if he _wasn't_ just freaking the hell out. Because he totally wasn't.

"I thank you for your indulgence," Iroh murmurs and Jet's pretty sure there's amusement in his gaze but he's just tired enough to let that go. "My nephew is much like you in that aspect. He may not have always been patient enough to listen, but I still enjoyed his company."

Jet looks out over the city because talking about Zuko is just… _no_. Except that Iroh doesn't seem to get that.

"Am I right in believing you were close to my nephew?" Iroh asks and he doesn't _sound_ cautious but Jet's pretty sure everything Iroh has ever said is carefully planned out.

"I guess." Jet's not ready to commit to that. He still doesn't really know what to do with the fact that Li kissed him. Zuko. Fuck, this is so weird.

"He mentioned you."

Jet goes stiff as he looks back at Iroh and finds the old man's eyes settled on him with a bit more interest. "…He talked about me?"

"Yes," Iroh murmurs. "He asked that I come and help take back the city while he went after the Avatar."

Jet remembers the Avatar. That half useless little brat… It's amazing to think about him as being anything more than some idiot kid. But Jet doesn't really care about that so much as Li-_Zuko_ thinking of him. It really shouldn't cause that weird feeling in his stomach.

"My nephew was very concerned," Iroh goes on. "I would have come anyway, but his words hastened my arrival."

"Oh. Thanks, I guess," Jet says absently. "..So.. He's with the Avatar then."

"The Avatar required a firebending teacher and when I refused to be so, my nephew took the duty upon himself." Iroh smiles, hands clasped behind his back. "It was not a duty he wanted to accept. I believe he has something… unresolved here to come back to."

Unresolved. Well. That was a word for it. Jet stares at his shoes as he rubs his thumb over the hilt of one hook sword. In an instant, he's back in that moment with Li's lips on his and his firm body and- _Shit_. Jet's face is hot. He sighs and scratches through his hair.

"Right," he mutters. "Well, Li's probably having a time of it with that teaching thing…"

Iroh pauses then and then he gives Jet a saddened look. "…That is what you still call him? Have you not accepted his true identity?"

Jet doesn't answer. He can't, in all honesty. Because he's not sure.

After a moment, Iroh sighs softly. "Sit down, Jet. I have a story I believe you need to hear."

Jet sits down and he listens until the sun goes down. He listens to how Li's grandfather died and his mother disappeared the same night. How his sister continually overshadowed him at every turn. How his father burned his face to prove a point about respect that even the Firelord didn't understand. How his banishment shaped and changed him…

In the end, Jet can see exactly what has made Li the way he is, and why he is _Zuko_. He gets it, finally. _Really_ gets it. And suddenly, the name doesn't even matter anymore. And, to a lesser extent, neither does Zuko's rank.

Iroh leaves him to think about that, going back to his duties. So Jet stares over the city and wonders where to go from there. There are a few obvious choices, of course, and there's still a ton of other things he needs to think about, but for that moment, he's content. A little. Enough, anyway.

Jet stays, after all is said and done. This is where he belongs, with his own people. But he keeps thinking about Zuko and he decides after this war is over, he might go find him. Or just check in on him. Something like that.

12.

After Ba Sing Se is secured, the White Lotus and Freedom Fighters move on and start spreading through the countryside. The liberate village after village, driving the Fire Nation to the coasts. It's enough to keep Jet occupied. Enough to keep him busy and not thinking past the next battle and that's exactly what he needs. He focuses on what's right in front of him right now. And then he gets the letter from Iroh. The letter that changes everything. The Firelord had been defeated. Avatar Aang was victorious. Jet stares at Gao after he finishes reading it. He feels… He's not sure _how_ he feels. The war is over. _They won_. So he flounders. He doesn't have any direction without an enemy to hate and a battle to fight. The Freedom Fighters end up helping with the Fire Nation evacuation, spreading the word, getting people out of their cellars… But Jet doesn't feel the accomplishment he thought he would. He… doesn't really feel anything at all. Then Iroh comes to him and requests that Jet accompany him back to the Fire Nation. Jet's kind of blindsided. Where the hell did this come from?

"The Earth King is still missing," Iroh explains, "and many of his cabinet and advisers are missing as well while others are waiting to be tried for treason against the Earth Kingdom."

Yeah, Jet gets that, but what does this have to do with him?

"We need to begin negotiations between our countries immediately," Iroh continues, his face calm and solemn. "Reparations will be made. So it has been decreed by Firelord Zuko."

Zuko. Jet feels his belly tighten and flop a bit. Iroh wants to take him to _Zuko_.

"..So… I get all that, but.. Me?" he asks and Iroh smiles, patting his shoulder.

"I would like to nominate you as ambassador between the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation," he says more cheerfully. "I believe you, above most others, can understand what is needed for the Fire Nation to make amends for our past actions."

Okay, so how screwed up is that? Jet just kind of stares at him with incredulity. Who the hell ever thought Jet might be good at diplomacy? Maybe if it involved _blood_. And frankly, Jet's not sure the Fire Nation could handle his brand of screwed up. "Seriously?"

"I am most serious," Iroh responds with a nod. "None other have I seen with your qualities. You are a strong leader, a great public speaker. You understand the woes of your countrymen and do not balk at setting back what is right-"

"By becoming a hoodlum and a thief!" Jet shoots back because no matter how much crap he gave the Freedom Fighters about what their rights were, he knows, deep down, what they were.

Iroh gives him a sad look and squeezes his shoulder. "Perhaps, then, you may think of this as a way to make amends _yourself_."

That… In a really screwed up way, Jet thinks maybe Iroh's right. So after less contemplation than he really should have taken, Jet reluctantly agrees. Maybe he _can_ make a difference. Maybe he can fix some of this craziness and make up for the horrible things he's done. Maybe…

"My nephew will be so pleased!"

Jet's mind stops _right there_ and wheels back. "Wait, _what?_"

"He will have someone to talk to!" Iroh replies cheerfully. "I'm afraid he was gravely injured securing the kingdom and has been giving out his decrees from his own bed. It will please him to no end to know a friendly face is around to talk to."

It takes a few moments to get past Iroh's cheer and realize what he'd just said. Zuko had been hurt? Badly enough to be kept on bed rest? Jet goes white but… surely, Iroh wouldn't be as happy if his nephew was in real danger…? The old man himself smiles and gives him a break.

"It will take him a little while to heal, but Prince Zuko will make a full recovery," he says and Jet's pretty sure the guy is smirking inwardly at his reaction. Bastard.

A few days later, Jet is out at sea, which is pretty damn weird when you're used to being grounded. And, okay, so maybe Jet gets a little sea sick. _A little_. But that's a small price to pay for getting in on Saving The World. It does, of course, take _way too damn long_ to get to the Fire Nation. When they manage, Jet is way beyond relieved. And then, of course, he's kind of not anymore. The Fire Nation isn't the dead, rocky desert he was expecting. It's lush and beautiful and surprisingly green. The land, that is. The people at least keep with the red he's used to seeing on them. And they're… normal. Jet's not sure why he's so surprised as he follows Iroh towards the castle. People have flocked for their arrival and they cheer and shout as Iroh waves at them. They aren't acting like a surrendered people at all and Jet wonders if, maybe, Zuko has somehow convinced them that ending the war was best for all. Or maybe they're all in denial and think they've taken over the world.

Zuko doesn't come out to meet them but Jet's not honestly surprised, with as hurt as he is apparently. Iroh leads Jet to a courtyard and asks him to wait there, as advisors drag him away. Jet doesn't mind. _Much_. He crouches down along the little pond and watches a few turtleducks paddle around. It's weirdly peaceful. Jet wonders what the hell he's doing here. Peace doesn't suit him. He's been fighting since he was a little kid and watched his village burn after his family had been slain right in front of him. This is… almost stifling. The unknowing.

"Jet?"

It's been a while but Jet still knows that voice. He stiffens and gets up, whipping his head around. Zuko's seen better days. He's leaning heavily against a nearby doorway and he looks pale. With his dark hair drawn up in a tidy topknot, he looks.. way different. The clothing he wears is loose and light, obviously not the usual fair for a Fire Lord. But it is for a coalescing patient. Jet reads the surprise on Zuko's face and then something painful as Zuko's brows crease.

Jet's moving before he can think about it. He sees Zuko take an unsteady step back and open his mouth to speak, maybe an apology or something as stupid as that, but Jet doesn't give him the chance. As soon as he's close, Jet claims that mouth and drags Zuko against him. The guy's lost some weight and his body stiffens at the close contact but Zuko's hands curl tightly in Jet's shirt like he's not about to let Jet leave. He knows it's going to be awkward after this, so Jet makes the kiss linger as long as he can. He's been _dreaming_ of this taste and while he's still not completely okay with the fact that he _wants_ this, that's not going to stop him from taking it.

"Oh _jeez_, guys, do you have to do that in public- _Jet?_"

Zuko stiffens, eyes flashing open and Jet finally breaks off to look, though he keeps his arms firmly around Zuko's body. And there, standing a few yards away, is the Avatar and his Water Tribe friends. And some Earth Kingdom girl Jet doesn't know. Jet glances towards the mortified, blushing Zuko, and then he grins because seriously, this is kind of ridiculous.

"Ugh, I need my brain laundered," Sokka moans out as he covers his eyes. Katara, on the other hand, is blushing.

"…Aang, get your jaw off the ground," she says. And the Avatar's stunned face is pretty damn hilarious. Jet grins, even when Zuko wiggles out of his hold. That's okay for now.


	4. Chapters 13 thru 16

**Hooked**

A/N: The sexual content in this part can be viewed on AFF.N.

13.

Zuko is crowned when the sun is highest. He stands straight and true and speaks to his people with frank but powerful words. It's a rather inspiring.

Of course, no one but Jet and Aang get to see what happens after Zuko gets back inside. The way his knees go out from under him and he crumples with pain. How his face goes white as milk and his mouth presses in a tight line. Jet grabs him before he can fall and then Aang helps stabilize him as they get the fire lord back to his rooms.

Jet's heard some pretty freaky things about Zuko's little sister Azula, but the thing he really, really hates about her is the fact that she left a physical mark on Zuko's body that would never be wiped away, just like his father did. If for nothing else, he will _always_ hate her for that. As far as he knows, the psychotic bitch has been shoved into a nuthouse. He hopes she's never allowed out.

Getting Zuko to stay in bed is… a trial in patience Jet never expected to have to participate in. The healing wound causes him serious pain even with Katara's healing abilities, but does that keep Zuko pliant and still? _Fuck no_. He wasn't even this stubborn back in Ba Sing Se and Jet had figured him to be the most stubborn person on the planet. He was sorely mistaken. Zuko refuses to rest like he should. Instead, he drags himself to meetings of his generals and advisors, straining himself to keep from showing how weak his body is.

Jet gets to sit in on most meetings and he figures something out. Being an ambassador is really boring, tedious, and annoying. It's not that the advisors are against taking the blame and making reparations; it's that none of them can agree on how, exactly, to go about doing so. Jet nearly falls asleep countless times and when he glances to Zuko, the fire lord is pretty much the same.

When one of the advisors gets too frustrated at a general's grouchy stubbornness, he turns to Jet and lashes out with, "What would _you_ start with, since it's _your_ country we've been enlightening-"

"_Subjugating_," the general shoots back and the advisor gives him a nasty glare. Jet just rolls his eyes and thinks about that. While he could side with the various ideas for rebuilding villages, utilizing work forces, and supply parties, what really stands in Jet's mind is the image of _them_ storming into his village.

Jet glances at Zuko, then turns to the advisor and says without any more hesitation, "Disband the Rough Rhinos."

Zuko only looks mildly surprised. Everyone else is flabbergasted. Fighting begins immediately but Jet doesn't really care. This is what he's here for, what Iroh brought him to do. He's figured out pretty quick that these people have no clue what the Earth Kingdom needs. They need a _sacrifice_. Maybe not everyone would agree but Jet's been through the ringer. This is what _he_ needs, if nothing else. Then they can get into rebuilding.

They fight about it until Zuko suddenly speaks up, agreeing to the term. Which just sparks more debate but Jet can't help smiling at the fire lord anyway.

Between meetings, Jet spends as much time with Zuko as he can. Not that that's much. Zuko is constantly called away to speak about this issue or look at that plan, when he isn't doing things that are actually in his _schedule_. His secretary is a morose and sarcastic girl named Mai who doesn't look like much, but Zuko holds her in high esteem and the rumors say she accompanied Azula before the bitch went _really_ crazy.

"If you hurt him, I will skin the flesh from your bones and spit on your entrails," Mai says in a perfect monotone, her gaze lazy and disinterested. It comes out of the blue, after Zuko has ducked into yet another meeting room. Jet gives her a glance, brows raised.

"Is that a threat?" he asks.

"It's a promise," Mai replies and then starts examining her nails as if she _didn't_ just threaten him with bodily harm.

Jet doesn't realize she was perfectly serious until he catches her practicing her knife throwing. Then he holds her in slightly higher regard. She might last a few minutes trying to take him down, instead of the paltry few seconds most people did.

After two weeks of living in the palace, Jet also realizes Mai is completely and utterly head over heels for Zuko, which just puts him on guard even more.

At least Zuko is healing well. He's no longer bedridden and the Water Tribe folks head home with the Avatar to guide them and their earthbender friend. Jet didn't really have much to do with them. To be honest, he doesn't know what the hell he could say to them. Katara continued to glare at him anytime she was near so Jet stayed out of her way. He's almost regretful of that. He'd have liked to show her how he's changed. And he _has_ changed. The fact that he's not destroying the palace or assassinating the fire lord in his sleep has to account for _something._

Not that he feels the need to kill Zuko anymore. He's… Jet hates using flowery words, but he's gotten pretty damn fond of Zuko. And maybe more. Which is _really_ uncomfortable. There's nothing like wanking off to a poster of a curvy contortionist only to suddenly remember the taste and feel of a _man's_ mouth against his own.

Jet's not a virgin but he never really had time to get all that experienced. Besides, he hung out with boys and girls that looked like boys and then Jin, who's so far off limits she isn't even worth thinking of that way, as Gao had said. So when the interest struck him, it was during a rare food run where they actually _paid_ for the food in whatever village was around and a pretty, interested girl happened to cross his way. Normal girls are no match for the awesome that is Jet.

But he guesses everyone has their exceptions. And Zuko is definitely an exception to the rule. He's not even a guy that looks like a girl – Jet's seen plenty of those and some of them have even been good enough that he didn't realize until they spoke. Zuko is tall and muscular with features that aren't quite rugged but aren't really _pretty_. No guy with a scar that huge could be considered pretty. But he does have nice eyes, once you get past the color. Okay, maybe _because_ of it, sometimes. His voice is pleasant, his touch light, and you gotta give props to a guy who defends against lightning.

So maybe Jet's attracted to him. What the hell is there to _do_ about that, past those admittedly _really_ nice kisses? Which haven't happened again but Jet's thinking about it and from the way Zuko looks at him sometimes, he's pretty sure Zuko is, too. Jet's also thought about pawing over that body and trying to figure it out on his own. He knows there are ways but, seriously, the notion kind of bothered him before this. Before Li and then Zuko. When the world was a set of straight lines he could follow without trouble. When the Fire Nation was Evil and having babies was too important to even think of _other_ partnerships.

Jet's not sure he feels _free_ now, so much as _lost_. He wishes there was someone he could talk to about this but, frankly, the idea of speaking aloud some of those dirty thoughts is just… Maybe he remembers a little from when his parents were alive but some things just _aren't done_.

Like wanking to fire lords.

But Jet does it anyway. And maybe, when he's done here and not thinking with his prick, he'll figure out where to go next.

14.

Jet discovers that some of the scrolls in the library have pictures. He'll probably never figure out that reading thing totally - thousands of different characters? – but the pictures are well painted and some of them are image heavy enough that he gets what's going on. He's starting to recognize a few more characters, anyway… The librarian, of course, _hates his guts_. She glares anytime he comes near and Jet's taken to calling her Katara even though her name is Chiaki, which just makes her even more mad and convinced he's a stupid country bumpkin who shouldn't even be touching books, much less trying to read them. When he asks for more picture scrolls, she sneers and shoves him off to the _baby_ section. Jet does his best _not_ to kill her. And he gives up on trying to figure out the language for now. The bitch makes it less enjoyable.

Maybe he'll be back later when he doesn't have so much work to do. Or he'll break in at night with a candle to read by.

Being an ambassador is more work than he thought it would be and it's not really fun. Most of the time, Jet's fighting with them to get what needs to be done _done_. The nice thing is that he has Zuko's support most of the time. It's a careful balance of Fire Nation resources and the Earth Kingdom's willingness to be helped, really. There are some things the Earth Kingdom needs that they could never accept as a handout. But even with the difficulty, Jet still feels satisfied with how things are going. Work crews have been sent off to help rebuild various villages as well as the cities. All non-benders, of course. The advisors don't really get it but Zuko's seen first hand how scared the Earth Kingdom peasants are of firebenders. He understands why Jet was adamant about it.

It's busy, but Jet still finds time to relax. And sometimes, he finds time to relax with Zuko, too. The Fire Lord is only recently healed up and back in top shape, but he pushes himself as hard as he can. Which the people love and anyone close to him is pretty pissed about.

It's Mai's idea to schedule at least one hour a day where Zuko has nothing to do. She effortlessly keeps everyone at bay so Jet can drag Zuko off to sit in the courtyard and watch the turtleducks, or back to his rooms for games of Pai Sho that Jet has never been able to win. The Lotus tile Zuko uses is old and chipped, but Jet knows he will never replace it.

"Uncle's teashop was completed last week," Zuko says as he sets down a piece and Jet finds himself watching those slim fingers press and release the tile with a bit more interest than is really right. "He's reopening it in a few days, and a sister shop in the lower ring."

"That's great. That old guy _did_ know his stuff," Jet comments as he quickly plays his own piece. He doesn't really have a strategy. Games aren't the same as battle plans and while he could think ten steps ahead of someone he was trying to kill, doing the same for a Pai Sho game just seemed… Well… unimportant.

"He's invited us to visit to celebrate."

Jet glances up, lifting a brow. "You're totally going, right?"

"I'm thinking about it," Zuko murmurs. Which is dumb because it'll _take_ days to get there even in the fastest ship.

"You should go," Jet says and sits back in his chair. "It'll be good to get out of here a few days. Too much and you'll be going batty, trust me."

Zuko pauses. He lifts his eyes to Jet's face, searching it, then says with a frown, "You were invited, too."

"Yeah, well. _Ships_." As if that explains everything. Zuko still looks troubled so Jet adds, "Besides. I think your bodyguard would get pissed at me for being in such close quarters with you for the voyage. And I've been through the Jasmine Dragon; there's not much room for a bunch of guests to sleep."

"Mai?" Zuko seems a bit bewildered and its really funny. Jet grins at him. "What does she have to do with this?"

"Other than the fact that she flays me with her eyes every time she looks at me?"

"She does _not_."

Jet lifts a brow. "Oh come _on_, Zuko. She's jonesing for you so hard, it's a wonder your pants haven't burst into flames with how much she stares at your ass. Worse than _Jin_."

Zuko goes from pale milk to the reddest apple. He ducks his head, moving a piece quickly to cover how embarrassed that's made him. Jet just grins. This is so worth all the weird interspection he keeps having to go through every time he touches himself. And then Jet's just as red as he remembers that. He makes another dumb move because suddenly all he can look at is the pale shaft of Zuko's throat, a few loose strands of black brushing his skin…

Jet clears his throat and thankfully, Zuko wins in the next move. Thank the spirits for little miracles. Jet gets up from the table and mutters some kind of excuse as he heads for the door. He doesn't get far before there's a hand gripping his wrist.

"Jet, what's wrong?" And Jet hates himself for the unconfident words. He looks back and hates himself even more. Zuko doesn't even look embarrassed anymore. He looks like a kicked animal and Jet doesn't even listen to the half thought about apology for whatever Zuko thinks he's done.

There are way, _way_ too many questions about this… _thing_ between them that Jet can't answer, but what he can't take is Zuko thinking he's angry with him. Because he's so far from angry with him that he might as well _love_-

Zuko's mouth makes for a very good distraction from weird thoughts. They haven't kissed since his arrival but Jet thinks maybe they should be kissing once an hour if not more. Zuko is stiff against him at first but then Jet's hand grips him at the small of his back to drag them in close and Zuko gives a faint shiver before he leans right into him.

And it… it's _hot_. Zuko's body is all heat and firm muscle under silk. Jet licks into his mouth and sucks on his tongue and the way Zuko groans goes right to his cock. He can feel the thin fingers he was admiring earlier clutching at his shirt and, okay, so the press of Zuko's body against his is probably the hottest thing he's ever felt. There's no way to imagine this as some girl he's necking with. There is _nothing_ about Zuko that's like a girl and Jet's hands are figuring that out pretty damn quick as they slide over his muscular form…

Jet feels it as a shudder of energy through Zuko's body and hears the catch in his voice when Zuko comes. And, okay, _wow_. Jet doesn't realize he's this close until it overtakes him and he's biting down again. Then they're still and he listens to the uneven panting of their breath. And while he's feeling pretty damn good, Jet doesn't have a clue what he's supposed to do now.

15.

They do not talk about it. Not that the event doesn't _happen_ again, but they don't talk about it. Jet's pretty sure his mind would explode if they did. He's not sure if Zuko's embarrassed, ashamed, or just as fucked in the head as Jet is but he's pretty sure his mind would explode too.

Jet didn't know if he should be embarrassed about getting excited over a guy. Getting _more_ excited over him than any girl he'd been with. Sometimes, Zuko drags him into a little alcove here or there between meetings. They're tightly pressed and Jet can feel every lick of heat from Zuko's body as his mouth is plundered. Sometimes Jet jerks Zuko across the Pai Sho table to get a taste out of the blue and that's good too. They rarely go as far as the first time, but every touch leaves Jet's body humming with an alien sort of need.

Not that they weren't careful, of course. Neither Jet nor Zuko know what kind of gossip might pop up but they're both leery of it. Sometimes, Jet catches Zuko standing out in the courtyard, staring at the little pond with a look on his face so bothered, he might have gone out to comfort him if, you know, he didn't know Zuko would have charbroiled his ass for interrupting his sulking time. And… Well, Jet isn't really sure if this thing between them has gotten to the point where they're allowed to get all soft and worried about each other.

He doesn't even know what to _call_ it. So he doesn't call it anything. Instead, Jet lets it be and lets it grow into whatever it ends up being.

It's while contemplating these complicated matters that Jet follows Zuko on a trip to one of the outlaying islands. He does his best not to get royally sick on the ship but at least it's a short trip. Then he's back on dry land and… in front of a mental hospital. The hell? Jet gets a bad feeling about that.

The staff is very deferent. They bow their heads to Zuko and his entourage, not moving until they have passed. A doctor in clean, white clothes speaks briefly with the fire lord and after, Zuko looks troubled but determined. As they get closer to a barred room, Zuko bids the guards to wait and only he and Jet continue on.

Zuko opens the door and steps inside. Jet stays at the doorway. Across from them, strapped to a chair, is a girl just a little younger than them. She doesn't bother looking up and her dark, uneven hair falls enough into her face that Jet can't really see it. Bu she's still, so very _still_, and her white skin is bruised around the straps. The short sleeved robe and loose pants she wore did little to hide more bruises.

"Hello, Azula," Zuko says and Jet gives him a quick look. _This_ is his little sister?

Azula lifts her head. Her eyes are the same color as Zuko's but Jet doesn't think he's ever seen a pair any more different. Her fingers twitch, then grip the chair arms as she raises her head further, eyes half lidded and expression haughty. As if _she_ had called for Zuko to be here in the first place.

"Oh, Zuzu," she croons out without a smile, "One would think you didn't care about your sister anymore. How long has it been since you threw me in this place?"

"Not long enough," Zuko says quietly. His hands fist at his sides but his face remains composed. Jet's proud of that.

"And who's this? Did you finally make a friend? Looks like a peasant but I suppose that's the only kind of person who'd bother with a useless piece of trash like you."

"He is the ambassador from the Earth Kingdom, a warrior named Jet."

Jet thinks the introduction is a bit modest but he keeps that to himself. As Azula's eyes trail to him, he sees a moment of recognition. And then Azula laughs.

"_This_ is the ambassador? I remember hearing about _him_. Is the Earth Kingdom _trying_ to start another war?" She laughs harder and Zuko's jaw clenches at the sound. Jet doesn't blame him. It's a really, really horrible sound. "Oh, poor Zuzu. Poor, _poor,_ little Zuzu. When I get out of here, we'll talk and maybe you'll realize why defying me was such a bad idea."

"I doubt it," Zuko murmurs, folding his arms over his chest. Azula's expression cracks and for a moment, Jet can see the insanity in her eyes, under the veil of normalcy she's managed to cobble together.

"That is _my_ crown," she whispers as her jaws clench and fire dances in her gaze. Jet feels the temperature in the room start to rise and looks to Zuko, but the Fire Lord is still and unbothered.

"You were never coroneted," Zuko says evenly, almost coldly, and _that's_ what does it.

Azula starts to scream. She snarls out obscenities and rocks in her chair, loose hair flying this way and that as flames pour from her mouth. Zuko shifts without hesitation and creates a shield of fire against her attack while Jet backs up a step, hands going to his hook swords.

"_No!_" Zuko says sharply and Jet's surprised enough not to attack even as Azula continues to scream at them. She knocks the chair over and scrambles to try and get free, more fire jets streaking across the floor. Jet realizes after a moment that she'd take the whole place down if someone didn't do something. But he shouldn't have bothered worrying about it. Zuko keeps the flames at bay, wrenching control from Azula's fractured mind, and then the doctors push past Jet to subdue him.

Azula's enraged screams follow them out of the complex. Zuko says nothing. He walks at a steady clip, not quite running but close to it. Jet follows right behind him and tries to figure out what the hell he's supposed to say after that. If that was even a fraction of what Azula was like before, Jet can't understand how Zuko came out any less fucked up than he is.

The ride back to the palace is quiet and strained but when Zuko heads for his rooms, Jet follows. And he's not really all that surprised to get dragged into another session of _very_ heavy petting. He can feel the desperation in Zuko's touch, the unease in his gaze. Zuko doesn't want to admit just how badly this has bothered him. So, Jet doesn't make it. He enjoys the heated touches and hurried kisses and when it's over and they're resting against the wall to catch their breaths, Jet wraps his arms around Zuko and lets the man hide against his shoulder for as long as he needs it.

"There is a faction," Zuko says suddenly, his voice hoarse and quiet, "that would have Azula take the throne."

Jet can't help the cold little shiver of revulsion that runs down his back. "That chick is _nuts_."

"I know," Zuko mutters with a heavy sigh, his fingers curling tighter in Jet's clothes. "But they still follow her. They're waiting for me to slip up, give them a reason to be overthrown that the people will accept…"

"It won't happen," Jet tells him solemnly. Because he would kill her himself before he let that insane girl have any scrap of power again.

Zuko is quiet. Jet listens to his slowing breath and brushes his fingers through his mussed hair. He doesn't know how much of a comfort he is but it seems like he's allowed to try. At least a little.

"I won't let it happen," he says softly. "Only _you're_ allowed to keep this country in check, got it?"

There's a soft sound at his shoulder. It sounds pleasant so Jet lets it be.

16.

Jet hates ships. Until a few weeks ago, he'd never set foot on one and now it seems like he's out to sea every day. It sucks so hard. The ocean was never meant to be crossed by humans, he's pretty sure about that.

Zuko thinks it's hilarious, how badly sick Jet gets with the rocking of the ship. Of course, Zuko spent three full years on one and who knows how much time before that, considering that the Fire Nation has the best navy of them all. He's got the advantage of experience. Jet wants to hit him but honestly, he's having enough trouble keeping his balance. Mai just gives him amused glances when she's feeling less uptight, but Jet's even more leery of hitting _her_, at least while he's under the weather.

When they get to dry land, he almost drops to his knees to kiss it. His self control, however, holds strong, and he just wobbles his way off the damn ship and hoping he doesn't look as green as he feels. Zuko's still smirking so, yeah, he's pretty sure he is.

They travel a few hours right off to boat and settle for the night in one of the larger villages between the port and Ba Sing Se. While Zuko's guard detail cares for the ostridgehorses they borrowed from a stable in the port, Jet volunteers himself to spend the night in Zuko's room for added protection. One of them had to do it, after all, and Jet was all for taking one for the team. He misses Mai muttering something sarcastic but, seriously, she should have volunteered first if she wanted to. Not that Jet would have _let_ her, mind you, but it's the principle of the thing.

"_Jet_," Zuko breathes out, hands twitching on Jet's shoulders as he nibbles along Zuko's belly, kneeling between the fire lord's spread legs. He's curious, honestly, because he remembers how this went when he was with girls and it was pretty damn fantastic, but now he kind of wonders what it's like on this side of it. Jet's willing to try anything once….

…And after a minute of getting his brain back together, Zuko leans over him to lock their mouths in a very satisfying battle as a hand slides over him to return the favor, albeit in a somewhat less oral fashion. Jet gets it. And when Zuko asks him about it later, whether he minded, he tells him that he can try that when he feels like it but Jet's not gonna ask. It's not like Zuko asked _him_ to, which he might have said no to on principle.

The next evening, they're in Ba Sing Se and Zuko spends a while talking with the newly returned Earth King about whatever monarchs talk about. Jet isn't allowed in so he waits and entertains himself by chipping little divots into the stone surrounding doors way too damn big to be real. Once the kings are done being kings, The entourage heads out to find the Jasmine Dragon.

Iroh welcomes them with open arms. He's cheerful and light, looking younger than Jet can remember. He's kind of surprised by how well the tea shop has been restored. Zuko looks over it with a soft look in his eyes and Jet's pretty sure something has healed in him.

The Avatar and his friends are in good spirits, as far as Jet can tell. The one stranger, Suki, is cordial to him but that's probably because Sokka is. Katara is never going to let her grudge go but at least she's civil. Mostly. Jet keeps mostly to himself anyway. This is for Zuko, honestly. He watches the fire lord relax and just hang out with his friends, even serving tea to them himself. Even Mai seems to be enjoying herself. As much as Mai enjoys anything. She talks with Suki and Katara through a lazy Pai Sho game that even Jet can tell is being better played than he or Zuko can manage. The Avatar seems to have decided he's a kid right now and not the savior because seriously, what kind of savior plays on the floor with flying lemurs? But it's still kind of sweet.

When Jet realizes Sokka's included him in the weird, kind of unrecognizable group painting, he's not really sure how to feel. It's… kind of nice, he guesses. Even if it doesn't really look like him and he's not sure what the sea urchin on his shoulder is about.

As the evening winds down and the friends pair off or group up for one activity or another, Jet leans back in a chair by the window and just kind of enjoys the quiet atmosphere. It's not what he's used to at all.

"Are you troubled?" Iroh murmurs as he steps over. Jet gives him a little grin and iron leans on the window sill, calm and serene as ever. Jet hopes someday he's as awesome an old guy as Iroh, but he's pretty close already so it's not such a distant dream.

"Nah. Not really. Just thinking."

Because Iroh is Iroh, he doesn't take that opening. "I notice that you and my nephew are growing closer."

"…yeah, I guess so," Jet says carefully. "He's a pretty good guy."

"You misunderstand," Iroh murmurs, reaching over to grip his shoulder. "I'm very pleased with this development. My nephew has been lonely for a long time. It's good that he is opening himself up to other people and that he has such a good friend to watch his heart."

Jet… kinda doesn't know how to take that. Seems like he's been feeling that a lot lately. He can't quite look at Iroh but he mutters a weak thanks anyway. Iroh gives his shoulder a squeeze and then presses a sealed scroll into his hands.

"I think, perhaps, you may need this," Iroh says with a mischievious smile. Jet takes it but he's kind of put on edge by that look. Something tells him it won't be at all what he expects. Iroh tells him to wait to open it until he gets back to the palace and that he might enjoy doing so with Zuko. The edgy feeling returns. Somehow, he's pretty sure Iroh's scheming.


	5. Chapters 17 thru 20

**Hooked**

A/N: The sexual content in this part can be viewed on AFF.N. (Chapter 18, in particular, was really just one big lemon.)

17.

It's only after they've returned to the Fire Nation after another awful boat ride that Jet thinks to open the scroll, and _only_ in his own little room afforded to him because of his status. He sits down on his bed and cracks the seal, slowly unwinding a foot or so.

_That wily old coot!_ Jet doesn't know whether to be pissed off or kind of glad. He looks through more of the scroll and… Okay, it's pretty damn obvious what this is for. And while he's not blushing, he's kind of weirded out by the fact that Iroh gave this to him. The hell-

"What's that?"

"_FUCK!_"

Jet probably jumps three feet in the air. He jerks around and glares at Zuko as he fumbles the scroll but Zuko's already reaching past him and – ah, hell. Before he even thinks about it, Zuko starts to read:

"The Modern Manual of Love, second edition, gain insight and please a lover of any kind- _What is this Jet?"_

"Well," Jet says, sounding way more cool and controlled than he feels, "apparently, your uncle decided I needed it."

"_Uncle_ gave you-?" Zuko makes a weird chocking noise and when Jet looks at him, he's a really bad mix of white and red. It would be hilarious if Jet weren't kind of mortified. It's one thing to suck a guy's cock, quite another to look at _pictures_ of it. Well done pictures. Pictures that have enough detail that Jet's pretty sure he could learn that technique right there- "Why would he think you needed this?"

"I'm not _about_ to pretend to understand that guy," Jet says with a roll of his eyes. Because seriously. Crazy old people are beyond contemplation.

"Did you _tell_ him?"

Jet pauses. And then he looks at Zuko and reads the near hysteria in his face. Zuko's just about to shit a brick.

"I didn't tell him," Jet says seriously. "But I think he knows anyway."

He hasn't told Zuko about how Iroh had basically manipulated him into this position but he does now and Zuko just gets whiter and whiter. He sits down heavily beside Jet and gives the scroll a half disgusted look. "He wasn't supposed to know."

Jet watches him because suddenly, in the pit of his stomach, he feels cold. And he doesn't really know why.

"Zuko, that old man probably knows everything. Old people just do that," he murmurs, trying to soothe the fire lord. He's pretty sure Zuko's not supposed to be pale as milk. "I think this scroll is probably as close to a go ahead as we're gonna get."

Zuko groans and covers his face with his hands. "I do _not_ want to think about my uncle facilitating my sex life."

And, of course, Jet has to laugh because that's fucking hilarious. He looks at the scroll and then opens it up again and suddenly he's not laughing anymore. Zuko is quiet at his side as he leans in, looking even if he's embarrassed. Both of them scan over each image in silence and Jet's pretty sure the reason Zuko's so red is that he can read whatever descriptions are there as well.

Not that the pictures aren't graphic enough. Suddenly, Jet knows _exactly_ what it is guys can do, the ways he wondered about. And it's both exciting and kind of gross and totally and completely wrong. Jet glances over to Zuko's face, inches from his own, and watches the way the fire lord carefully examines the images in front of him. Zuko tends to over focus instead of just taking things in and it's probably so that he doesn't die or embarrassment. It's cute, Jet supposes. Not that cute and Zuko belong in the same universe. Jet looks back to the scroll before he can think about anything so embarrassing and soft.

Zuko sucks in a breath and twitches back a bit as if he's suddenly realized what they're doing. He's cherry red and Jet doesn't laugh at him, but it's a real near thing.

"I've… got stuff to do," Zuko says quickly and that's what makes Jet grin.

"Right. Important stuff, I'm sure." He grins wider as Zuko shoots him a dirty look.

"…Very."

Jet gives Zuko a break and lets him go without another comment. He stares at the door for a little while, then looks back down at the scroll. Well. Okay then.

He ends up rolling it back up and stuffing it between the cushions. It seems lewd to leave it out and… well, it's a little creepy to look at. Not that Jet can get those images out of his head, mind you.

A nice session of trying not to get his ass ripped to shreds by Mai helps to curb a bit of what's going on in Jet's head but… Well, the one thing that's always gotten him into trouble, other than rage, is that he's curious. And that he's got next to no restraint with that curiosity.

Jet does his best to keep himself occupied, but he's always been good at distancing himself from what he's doing and that leaves him plenty of time to think. To figure out what the hell he wants and if it's okay to want it. Iroh's kind of _blatant_ okay isn't so much a comfort as a real kick in the pants that he must be obvious in some way about the thing between he and Zuko. Which means he really needs to be paying attention.

There are two examples for coupling that Jet has. One was his parents. He doesn't remember much of them but he _does_ remember how close they used to sit when they sat down to eat and how if he had a bad dream and came shuffling into their room, they were always curled up in each others' arms before he woke them. The feelings between them were open and calm and gentle.

The other example is Smellerbee and Longshot. While Jet knows there's affection there, they're secretive. Quiet. There's never been a blatant omission of the relationship. The only reason Jet knows is that he caught them once and he's never revealed that to anyone. It's as if they hold their connection so highly that they see no reason to let anyone else see it.

Neither of those really work for Jet and Zuko. They don't have the open gentility _or_ a sacred silence. So Jet's kind of at a loss. He's pretty sure he shouldn't be having overwhelming urges to smack his _lover_ when the man's being too stubborn for his own good, or to laugh at him until he just cries when Zuko goes on with his unintentional hilarity. Maybe there's something cracked with them. And maybe that's for the best.

Jet rubs his temples. He knows he wants Zuko. Thinking about the guy in the throws of passion is embarrassingly easy. Jet knows he wants to stay at his side, too. But what does that _mean?_ It's not like he's some wilting flower of a girl pining after the man of his dreams. Not only is Zuko _not_ perfect, but Jet is most certainly _not_ the girl in this.

All Jet knows for sure is that right now is that he's content with how things are and he hopes they don't change before he does.

18.

Zuko's mouth is a mix of hot wetness and clumsy teeth. It takes Jet about ten seconds to start directing him because _ow_. But Zuko is a pretty quick study and soon enough, it's all good. Not the best but there's no way in hell he's going to burst Zuko's bubble in the first attempt…

… Zuko flops down beside him while Jet's just trying to breath again. His body is humming with pleasure and exhaustion and even though he's already starting to feel sore, it's worth it. It's so worth it. And they are so doing this again. Jet doesn't even care if he bottoms every time. It's happening again.

"Jet," Zuko murmurs, his voice low and quiet.

"Yeah?"

"I…" He's quiet a few moments, then adds almost embarrassedly, "Thanks."

"Yeah, well. I think we _both_ got something out of that." Jet's feeling a little too good to let potential embarrassment bother him right now. "It was good, right?"

"Very," Zuko replies quickly and then shifts onto his side, looking down at Jet directly. "For you?"

Jet grins. "Yeah. For me too."

Zuko nods. They're both quiet for a little while because as Jet comes off his high, he notices some of the things in the way Zuko looks at him. The stuff he's been trying to figure out for himself. And it's not really a comfort that Zuko's as unsure about this as he is, but at least they're unsure together.

When Zuko leans down to kiss him, it's nice and Jet enjoys it for what it is instead of as a taste of more. Neither of them are up for a repeat performance right now and Zuko's got another meeting soon – maybe even now, who knows how late it is? – so the kiss is purposeless but… Jet finds himself keeping it up. He brushes one hand over Zuko's cheek, the other sliding into his shaggy hair, and he feels Zuko's touch along his neck and jaw.

He remembers the first time they kissed. The hurried way Zuko grabbed him, the unfamiliar mash of lips and clink of teeth and grabbing hands. The desperation and denial. He remembers the second, nearly the same but flooded with relief and need. The way Zuko melted against him and the heat of his mouth. This… This was nothing like those. There was no hurry, their passion was mostly burned away for now.

When they broke off, Zuko lies back again and they just rest in each other's presence for a little while. Jet realizes he wants _this_. More than anything, he wants this. Where he can just lay around with someone and be _content_.

When Zuko gets up and dresses, Jet watches him without an ounce of embarrassment. And then Zuko's gone and Jet stares at the ceiling and tries to figure out if he's ever been this content before. He doesn't think so. And when he thinks about just _what_ makes him content…

Jet realizes he might be in love with Zuko and… he might be okay with that.

19.

Jet has never met ex-Fire Lord Ozai, of course. He's only seen one painting of him, too. The one Zuko has selective amnesia about hanging in the castle. He can see where Zuko gets his looks, but from what he's heard, not much else passed through the genes.

When Zuko tells him he's going to see his father, Jet doesn't really connect the two at first. And then he's following Zuko down into the prison and sees a man that bears a very striking resemblance to the painting, if only as a more ragamuffin version.

"Father," Zuko greets quietly. The man in the cage lifts his head and glares at him with more hatred than Jet expected. Then he thought about it and, yeah, maybe he _did_ expect it.

"Am I? I don't remember siring such _weakness_," Ozai asks and then he smirks as he rests up against the wall of his cell. He looks weakened and Jet remembers hearing about what the Avatar did to finish him and end the war. Jet's not a bender so he doesn't know how it would feel to suddenly lose that ability, but he imagines it would be pretty fucking horrible

Zuko is tall and strong but Jet can see the way his fists are curling. He's pretty sure Ozai can too.

"Where is she?" Zuko says as he steps closer to the bars. Ozai's smirk widens and then he chuckles. Zuko loses it a second later. "Tell me where she is!"

"Temper, Zuko," Ozai murmurs. "You always _were_ such a disgrace."

"I know she's alive. Now tell me where you hid my mother!"

Jet jerks his gaze from Ozai to Zuko in an instant. His mother? No one talked about Zuko's mother in the castle. Jet just always assumed she must have died at some point. From the portrait – another one Zuko passed by pretending it wasn't there – she was quite the looker.

There's no way Zuko's going to make Ozai talk. He wants this too much. So Jet reached over and grabs Zuko's arm. "Leave me with him."

Zuko gives him a look and Ozai seems intrigued, but after a moment, Zuko backs off. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Jet says with a grin. And that makes Zuko hesitate but he still leaves the block. Jet waits until the door closes and then he draws one hook sword.

"Don't think you can intimidate me, _boy,_" Ozai mutters and he doesn't look very amused. Jet snorts.

"Old man, you're way out of your league. You mighta been a big shot once, but the Avatar really cut you down to size, didn't he?" Jet looks over the locking mechanism. He could pick that in a minute asleep. Awake, he does it in ten seconds.

Now Ozai's figuring out he's not as safe here as he thought. He starts to get up. Jet doesn't let him. He doesn't feel bad at all for how great it feels to punch this man across the face. The man who had his village burned to the ground. Who killed his family. Who enslaved his country. If he didn't have the just enough restraint, he might beat Ozai to death. It's less than the man deserves.

"You know, I used to think you were some kind of vengeful spirit," Jet says conversationally. And he hits Ozai again. It's just as satisfying as the first time. "It didn't make sense that a human being could do what you did to my family."

Ozai starts to speak but Jet's hand snakes out and slaps over his mouth, slamming him back against the stone. Jet's eyes are razor sharp. He has _no_ interest in hearing what this man might say.

"I'm not like your son," Jet grows savagely. "I don't _do_ forgiveness. Not for you. Now you've got two choices. You give me the information I want or I'll slit your throat. And trust me, even if you scream for help, you'll be dead before they can get the door open. And then who'd make Zuko feel like an unworthy piece of shit?"

Ozai glares at him over his hand but that just makes Jet grin. He lets go of him and he gets the information he wanted. Then he knocks Ozai out with one last well placed fist and goes to meet Zuko. He's vibrating with rage. All Jet wants to do is go back and eviscerate _that man_. He wants to make him suffer, kill him in slow degrees for _months_, until Ozai is begging to die. And then Jet will push it further, will let him beg and beg and _beg_ but Jet won't let him die. Ozai will live in pain and misery and _fear_. Because no matter what Jet does to him, it won't be enough to bring his family back or his friends or everyone else the Fire Nation murdered under _this man's_ rule.

Zuko doesn't touch him and they don't speak as they head out of the prison. Which is a damn good thing because Jet doesn't know what he might have done. Outside, Mai gives Jet one look and then apparently decides it'd be a better idea to keep out of this. Which Jet will be glad for later.

It takes the whole trip back to the palace for Jet to cool off enough that his hands stop shaking and his breathing calms back down. And then he notices there are a few specks of blood on his sleeve. Good. Nice to know he left some damage.

When the door to Zuko's room closes behind them, Zuko starts to speak only to have Jet silence him with a hungry kiss. It's not that he's turned on. He just… He needs this. He needs to get anchored because if he's not careful, it'll be really fucking easy to fall back into that old pit again and Jet's come too far to be that person again. Zuko presses into his body, distracting and soothing him. Jet sucks on his tongue as his fingers stay tight around the Fire Lord's arms. He only breaks off when he needs breath and then they stay close.

"What happened?" Zuko asks softly as Jet drops his head against his shoulder.

"He told me where she is," Jet replies. He's not really sure if Zuko will approve of his interrogation methods. Not likely. Zuko's got a much softer hand than he ever did.

Zuko stiffens at the words. "I'll send a party immediately to retrieve her-"

"No." Jet sighs a little and his hands slide around Zuko's waist. Before this, before he had ever allowed anyone in close for real, he'd never been so easy to comfort. But the feel of Zuko's body, the sound of his heart beat and breathing, his scent, all of it calms him far faster than anything he can remember. Zuko is _home_. "I'll get her. He said she would run at any sign of military. She's a known traitor to the crown."

"You?" Zuko grabs up handfuls of his shirt and Jet shivers at the brush of fingers through cloth against his back. "But-"

"Gotta be someone sneaky. Someone who's obviously not a firebending soldier." Jet grins. "Who better?"

It takes most of the night but Jet convinces him. Or, rather, Jet tells him point blank that he's going, alone no less, and that Zuko will just have to deal with that.

Which Zuko doesn't like, of course, but hey, Jet's really good at negotiating. In _bed_.

20.

Turns out, Ursa is a hard bitch to find even when Jet knows what he's looking for and where. Then again, she's been hiding out for years now and you get the hang of it pretty quick when people are trying to kill you.

He assumes people tried to kill her, anyway. She did apparently kill Fire Lord Azulon, from what Ozai had babbled about while Jet was breaking his face in. Jet doesn't know how Zuko managed to smooth that over.

The village Jet searches through is small and on the coast. Remote. Perfect to hide in. Unfortunately, people seem to come and go from it so quickly that no one he talks to can remember a specific single woman coming to stay at the time Ursa would have. In a way, Jet's kind of impressed. That lady learned quick for a noble.

He's been there two days before he finds her and he doesn't even realize it at first. Jet shows up at the little home nearest the docks with the intent of questioning the woman living there. Arisa is well thought of in the village. She's kind and thoughtful and no one has anything bad to say about her. Jet's expecting a short old lady of sixty.

Arisa is _definitely_ not sixty. She barely looks thirty. Her hair is streaked with gray but most of it is still jet black and she keeps it in a tidy bun out of her pleasant face. There aren't even many _wrinkles_. Her skin is a few shades darker than most Fire Nation citizens, but it just makes her more attractive. If he weren't completely into Zuko, Jet might have made a pass at her. As it is, he can't help grinning at her.

"Arisa's daughter, I presume?" he asks in his best flirty tone. Her mouth shifts into a lovely smile.

"Flatterer," Arisa says. Her voice is soft and gentle and it makes Jet feel warm inside in a way he doesn't quite know what to think of. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"I don't think most of it's legal in this country," Jet jokes because that warm feeling is really throwing off his game. "Actually, I'm looking for someone."

"Well, I do know quite a few people." She's smiling again, her cheeks just faintly rosy. "Who is it you can't seem to find?"

"A friend," Jet says. "Well, a friend of a friend. She'd have come here… oh… Seven, eight years ago?"

Arisa's expression fractures and Jet almost takes back his words when he notices something. That look, the way her eyes darken and brows twitch, the faint downturn of her lips, he _knows_ that look. He's seen that look of helpless pain on Zuko.

"You," Jet says almost soundlessly. And Ursa says nothing. After a moment, he sees a twitch of movement and barely manages to wedge his shoulder into the door before she slams it shut. He hisses with pain but he'll be damned if he fails in this. It's too important to Zuko. "I'm not from the army!"

Ursa's pushing her whole weight into the door, trying to get it shut and shit, that hurts. The lady's not a weakling!

"Zuko sent me!"

The pressure abruptly stops. Ursa stares at him through the narrow opening. "Zuko..?"

"Can we _please_ talk inside?"

For a moment, Ursa looks unsure. Then she slowly allows the door to open and him inside. As soon as it's shut again, she turns on him.

"What did you mean? Ozai promised me he would allow Zuko to think I was dead," she says and even then, somehow, her voice is still affecting him. But this time it twists something inside him. He never wants to feel this again.

"You know Zuko's Fire Lord now, don't you?" he asks and she nods. "Then you know Ozai's in prison. A lot of things come out when you think you've got nothing to lose."

Ursa swallows thickly. She folds her hands and stands up tall, almost serene. "Very well. I'm ready."

"What?"

"I'm ready." She gives him a soft, sad smile. "I've been ready for this since my father-in-law ordered my husband to kill our son."

Jet doesn't understand. He's heard of that, of course. Ozai told him, but he doesn't get what she means. Not until she asks him to please make it quick but if he can't, she understands. And then Jet feels utterly sick inside. He hasn't killed since the liberation of the Earth Kingdom. He doesn't _want_ to kill anymore.

"I'm not here to-" he chokes out and the very idea is like acid burning up his body. "He just wants you _back-_"

Ursa's hands are warm and gentle as they take up his face and Jet can only stare at her.

"I apologize," she murmurs softly, brows drawing with regret. "I only assumed… Please forgive me for upsetting you."

Jet just nods dumbly. Ursa leads him to her little sitting room and brings him a cup of tea that only calms him a little. The idea that _Zuko _might want his own mother dead is pretty sickening.

"How is he?" Ursa asks, stirring her own cup. "Is he all right?"

"I guess." Jet's not really drinking his tea so much as breathing it right now. "He's busy."

"Are you friends with him?"

It takes everything Jet has not to flush because no, he wouldn't call them _friends_. There are other words for it – not that Jet's decided which to use yet – but he doesn't think she'd really approve of any. "Yeah. I mean, we hang out when we can. I'm Jet. Ambassador from the Earth Kingdom."

Ursa gives him a mildly surprised look. "And _you_ were sent for me?"

"I volunteered," Jet explains. "I mean, I know what it's like to be on the run. And I figured you'd run if you noticed a soldier on your tail."

She nods. "Very wise. It warms me that Zuko has made a friend like you."

He _does_ blush that time. Jet fiddles with his cup. "You've been pardoned. Zuko thought it best to keep it quiet, but… He really wants you home."

Ursa smiles. She draws out a dainty handkerchief and dabs her eye and then asks him to wait a moment while she packs her things.

Jet doesn't think he's seen anyone happier than this. The way Zuko wraps his mother up in his arms, like he'll never let go again, as Ursa pets his hair and tells him how proud she is, is one of the most powerful things Jet's seen. Jet remembers very little of his mother but he thinks she must have been like Ursa.


	6. Chapters 21 thru 24

**Hooked**

21.

In the whirl of work it takes to get Ursa returned to her former status, Jet gets put off to the wayside. He doesn't mind _too_ much. There's still enough work to keep him occupied.

And he can't help but notice the way Zuko smiles more often. He's brighter, almost cheerful, and he even lets Jet fuck him – which was _awesome_ and he can't wait until he gets to do it _again_.

So, yeah, Jet's in a pretty damn good place. He gets to spar with Mai as much as he wants, has really delicious sex with Zuko, and even gets to have awkwardly sweet conversations with Ursa, who he won't admit aloud to thinking of as a quasi-mom. Life is pretty great.

He doesn't realize until later that he really should have worried when Zuko asks him specifically to sit out on a meeting. Jet figures it's something dumb, something embarrassingly _Fire Nation_, and he doesn't really mind. He's just an ambassador, after all, and he'll get it out of Zuko later. So it's all good.

Except that hours later, Zuko's not back and he passes Mai in one of the halls. She stops, grabbing his arm before he can get by. Jet glances at her and the look on her face is serious, almost painful.

"Don't be surprised. Whatever happens, just remember it had to," she tells him, then she lets go and walks away. And Jet's a little too bewildered to go after her. He tries to shake her words off and go on with the day, but they stick. They twist inside him, full of intentions and speculation, like little snakes of doubt. By the time Zuko returns to his room, it's dark and Jet's been sitting on his bed stewing for a good two hours. Mai never seeks him out for no reason and she was too serious to be joking. Something's up. Something's _wrong_.

Zuko pauses in the doorway. He looks surprised a moment and then just resigned. "Did someone tell you?"

"Not really. But someone decided I needed to be _warned_." Jet drops his hands into his lap and gives Zuko a lazy glance over, as if he's not worried and doesn't care. "Seems like it must be important."

Yeah. It's pretty damn important. And he's not gonna like it. He can see that in the way Zuko winces and shuts the door behind him. Definitely not good news. Zuko takes a step to the bed, pauses, and then walks to the balcony. He doesn't go out, instead just leaning against one side and folding his arms across his chest. Defensive. Jet is _really_ not going to like it.

"We've been too obvious," Zuko says and Jet relaxes because, wow, that's not as bad as he thought it might be.

"So we're more careful. We'll deal." He gets up and walks over, brushing his hands along Zuko's hips as he sets his head on the firebender's shoulder. "Not the end of the world."

Zuko jerks so quickly from him that Jet thinks for a horrified moment that he's _hurt_ him. But he hasn't. Zuko stares at him with an almost fugitive look, and then he throws out the gauntlet.

"No, you don't get it! They've called my ability to produce an heir into question!"

And… that he didn't really think about. Jet's never really thought about heirs or bloodlines, much. He guesses he can see why it might be important for the monarchy. But…

"What are you trying to tell me?" he asks even though he's starting to realize he already knows.

"I've been given a year," Zuko says. He doesn't have to spell it out but he does. "If I don't have a child in a year, they'll force me to abdicate the throne."

"That's _bullshit!_" Jet snarls. "What's the point of an absolute monarchy if you can't change the rules? Are you just going to let them throw some bitch at you?"

Zuko stiffens. His face goes white and his lips thin into a tight, white line. He breaks their gaze, staring off into nothing almost angrily. Jet can see how tight he's holding his arms.

"Without an heir in a timely fashion, they could appoint-" Zuko starts but Jet doesn't let him finish.

"I don't give a damn who might replace you! Are you seriously going along with this?"

Zuko hesitates. Then he nods finally. "I don't have a choice, Jet. I _will_ marry and produce an heir."

"Fine. _Fine_. What do I care what you do?" Jet throws his hands up in disgust and turns his back on Zuko because fuck, he doesn't want to look at him right now. "Is this your way of telling me to skip out, or did you want to keep me on as some kind of _whore?_"

"Jet," Zuko whispers, his voice strained and it's Jet's turn to twist away from a soft touch.

"_Don't_," Jet snarls. He's not sure what pisses him off more, Zuko's bending to this idiotic proposal or the fact that he's still trying to _care_. "It's not like this… _thing_ between us was anything more than physical anyway."

Zuko says nothing but Jet's been around him too long. He can read that silence. He knows Zuko is hurting, but he doesn't really give a fuck. Jet leaves Zuko to his ridiculous plight and goes to pack the few things he brought with him. He's in port an hour later, waiting for the ship he's chosen to finish loading up. It's just come from the Earth Kingdom and the seamen are more than ready to get back. The only reason they came was to ferry the Fire Lord's uncle for some emergency reason.

Jet isn't really surprised when Iroh comes to him as he stows his near empty bag away in the bunk he's been given. He doesn't look at the man, just fiddles with his things. Maybe Iroh will just _go away_.

"You're making a grave error," Iroh says and Jet grits his teeth.

"No. For once, I think I'm making the right choice," he mutters and then finally throws a dirty look over his shoulder. "So fuck you, Iroh. Go comfort your idiotic nephew."

Iroh sighs softly. "Things may not be as set in stone as they seem."

"I don't have time for your musings, old man. I'm working my way for this trip." Jet leaves his things as they are. "Just leave me alone already."

"Are you truly angry with me, Jet… or do you feel betrayed by your lover?"

"He is _not_ my _lover!"_ Jet snaps. He jerks around, grabbing Iroh by the front of his robes and slamming the old man back against the bulkhead. "He is _nothing_ to me! I knew what I was getting into! I knew it was temporary, some sort of little _game_ to him! There was no reason to get _attached!_"

"Despite what you say, I know that you love him," Iroh says softly and Jet almost decks him. Instead, he lets go and shoves Iroh away.

"Just leave me alone," he whispers. Iroh nods slowly and then leaves. Jet finds work to drown out words he knows are true.

22.

There is a market for mercenaries, Jet finds. And good thing, too. He needs something to bury himself in. What's better than bodies?

In the wake of the war, soldiers and guards to patrol the Earth Kingdom are few and scattered. Which means bandits are making a _killing_. There's more than enough for Jet to go after for the rest of his life. He picks a particularly bad area and makes a deal with one of the local villages for free room and board, then starts to work.

And finds out that fighting has lost its appeal, but it's all he knows how to do. It's all he knows _to_ do. Jet fights and drags his bounties to the authorities and then goes to fight again. He makes friends with the village healer. Well, he sees the woman often and she berates him for being young and stupid, anyway. But at least she doesn't seem to think he's useless. The village isn't getting raided every other week anymore.

He doesn't kill often, but when he does, he's caring less and less that it happens. Jet never wanted to kill again after the war ended but… What's the point in _not_ doing it? Most of these guys are murderers anyway and throwing them in prison just to escape later seems less than productive. So Jet doesn't spare them if it comes down to that. Someone tells him he's making a name for himself but Jet doesn't really care. He's got a job to do and he's doing it. End of story.

He's been up to this for a few weeks when Longshot and Smellerbee show up at his room in the inn. And it's… weird. Awkward. He basically up and left them when he went to the Fire Nation and Smellerbee teasingly reminds him of that, but neither of them are mad. They get it, what he needed to do. Longshot sets a hand on his shoulder and gives him a soft look and… Jet knows he gets why Jet came back, too.

It's better with them. They were getting antsy about settling down so joining up in his bandit-chasing is like a godsend. They work just as well together as before, maybe even _better_. And a little bit of the empty pain settles and heals with them around. Jet can forget Zuko. It's not like Zuko's had any trouble, no doubt, and Jet will be damned if he's the one hanging on. He doesn't _do_ that.

Life goes on. As the months pass, Jet feels less and less hurt. He's not himself and he doesn't think he'll ever get that back, but it's better. Easier. When the area is cleaned of the worst bandits, he moves on with Smellerbee and Longshot to the next and starts over.

"I'm going to be sixteen in a few months," Smellerbee says one morning as they check over their tools and sharpen their blades. Jet blinks. He didn't realize they were anywhere close to her birthday, much less her _sixteenth_. Smellerbee's been growing up in front of him for years now but she never seemed to get very old and now she's going to be an adult.

"We'll do something special for you," Jet replies and slips a dagger into the sheath in his boot. "Gotta throw a party for that."

Smellerbee grins at him but after a moment, it grows more unsure. There's something she wants to ask but she's hesitant. Jet wonders why.

"Can I ask you for something specific?" she murmurs quietly, her tone serious. Jet sets down the knife sharpener and sets his full attention on her, hands limp in his lap.

"What's up, Bee?"

Smellerbee takes a breath, as if she's trying to give herself strength. "I want you to give me away."

"What?" Because Jet doesn't really get what she means.

"Jet, I want to get married," she says, her cheeks reddened but eyes determined, unwilling to back down. "To Longshot."

And then… Jet just kind of stares. He knows they've been together for… well, _ever_, and he really should have figured they'd tie the knot someday, but he didn't expect it this soon. But maybe it wasn't really soon.

"You…" he starts, a bit shell shocked, and then he stops because he doesn't know how to finish that. His best friends, his Freedom Fighters, getting married…? Would they be leaving him alone, too?

"Jet, breathe," Smellerbee says and her expression is falling, cracking. She tries to keep a brave face but Jet can tell just how disappointed she is. "It's okay. You don't have to."

"No," Jet says. He reached out and takes her hand, giving it a squeeze as he manages to break out a charming smile for her. "No, I'll do it, Bee. I'll give you away."

And he does, the day after Smellerbee's sixteenth birthday. It's nothing much. They find the nearest priest to where they're currently living, go through the motions, and then Smellerbee and Longshot are married. And it's… They don't really act any different but it _feels_ different. They're… more stable. More content. _Happier_.

And Jet realizes he wants that. He wants it so badly it hurts and it hurts to watch them. Even though they're as quiet about their marriage as they were their relationship, it's still _there_. Taunting him.

So, one day, he leaves. He does it silently, leaving his goodbyes with the innkeeper. He doesn't know what to say to them, so he has the innkeeper tell them to be happy and find somewhere to settle so they can have lots of babies to be his next Freedom Fighter army. It's hard to leave them. Smellerbee has been running after him since she was _nine_, and Longshot from about twelve. He feels… incomplete without them. But Jet knows if he stays they will continue to follow him. And he can't be selfish this once. He has to let them go.

Jet ends up in Ba Sing Se soon after but it isn't by choice. He's sick and the healer in the village can't help him. But he has enough money stored up by then that he can afford one in Ba Sing Se and Jet's not willing to die yet. His life doesn't have much purpose, but it's _his_. A group of merchants passing through agree to take him with them and he bares the trip grimly, drugged up with painkillers and medicines to stop the spread of the disease. He's only glad it's not contagious but by the time he gets to the great city, Jet's too delirious to be glad about anything.

He wakes up and the man sitting next to him is familiar. He's been in and out of consciousness for a week, raged with fever and pain, but the worst is over. As the man explains this, Jet stares at him and tries to figure out who he is.

"Gao?" he finally says and the older man smiles at him faintly.

"It's nice to see you again, Jet," Gao murmurs kindly. "And if you don't have anywhere else to go in the city to rest, you can stay with me."

Jet doesn't have the strength to say no. The next day, he leaves the healer and Gao takes him through the city. Jet's almost unconscious by the time they get to where they're staying. He chances a tired glance towards the sign and suddenly, he's very much awake.

"Don't tell me," he starts but then he can't finish because his heart is up in his throat and he's feeling more right this second than he has in over a year. And it's too soon for this. He… Jet's not ready for this, damn it!

Gao doesn't answers as the Jasmine Dragon looms before them.

23.

It's one of life's little mercies that Iroh isn't there when Gao helps him inside. Jet keeps his eyes on the ground. He doesn't want to be here, damn it. He doesn't want to _see_ this. Face it. He hears a cheerful greeting from a voice he recognizes as Tycho and Gao returns it, but Jet's really fucking _pissed_. He almost wishes he'd just stayed in that village and rotted.

Gao leaves him to sulk upstairs. Apparently, he and Tycho have been staying there since the end of the war, working for their board. And Tycho's going to school. Jet can remember the man talking about it and he wants to be glad for him, but he's too busy sulking to really care. He hopes he gets back his strength before Iroh gets back.

He doesn't.

"What a pleasant surprise!" Iroh says cheerfully as he grins at Jet. As if Jet hadn't been spurned by his nephew. As if he hadn't been _hurt_.

"Hey," Jet mumbles. Iroh doesn't seem to mind his lack of warmth.

"It has been a long time since we last met," the old man continues, sitting down at his bedside. Jet's not precisely bedridden, but he's close. "I only wish it could be under better circumstances. Are you feeling better?"

"I guess." Jet doesn't really want to talk to Iroh. He's too close to other problems that have only festered in the time he's been gone and now they're being thrown back into his face as fresh as ever. When Jet gave up most of his hate, he didn't think it would be replaced with this painful, _empty_ feeling.

"You seem troubled," Iroh says, touching his shoulder. "May I be of assistance?"

"What are you playing at?" Jet snaps at him. It's easier to be angry than to admit he's hurting.

"Regardless of the situation with my nephew," Iroh says softly, "I am fond of you yourself. It grieved me that we left on such a sour note."

Jet looks away. What the hell can he say in the face of such gentle remorse? Iroh squeezes his shoulder and smiles softly.

"I have kept track of your progress this past year," he admits with gentle humor. "You are very impressive when you set your mind to something."

"Thanks," Jet mumbles, a little embarrassed at the praise and the fact that it _does_ make him feel better. A little, anyway… He hesitates, then asks almost shyly, "Are the shops going well?"

"Oh yes." Iroh grins at him cheerfully. "We're doing _very_ well. I just finished negotiations to open a third location. Gao has graciously agreed to oversee it in my stead and Tycho shall join him."

"Guess you're gonna be looking for help, huh…"

"It will be very enjoyable to meet new faces," Iroh agrees and then looks pointedly at him and… Jet knows what he's wanting but no, he's not about to work in a tea shop. Not even if it was the last job in the world; he won't do it. He hasn't been able to set foot in a tea shop since returning to the Earth Kingdom, except for right now. It reminds him too much of Li and Zuko and _pain_.

But Iroh seems to understand and he doesn't ask directly. That doesn't mean he spares Jet's feelings.

"My grand-nephew is almost six months old now," he says and Jet feels very cold inside. He wants to hit something. He wants to collapse. But all he does is give a little grunt of understanding. Iroh doesn't get the point, or maybe he doesn't care. "I will be visiting with him again soon. His name is-"

"I don't _care_," Jet hisses out, hands tightly clenched in his lap. Iroh grows silent and Jet can feel his gaze upon him. It's painful. Jet closes his eyes, trying to calm down, but he really doesn't want to even _think_ about Zuko having a child. "Please. I can't… I can't _do_ this."

Iroh sighs softly and squeezes his shoulder. "I understand. I apologize for causing you pain."

And even that apology hurts. Jet needs to get out of here. He needs to find somewhere to disappear to because it's pretty fucking sad that he's the only one of them that hasn't moved on. But that's just it. He _can't_ move on. Fighting bandits is all well and good, but it's not really a life. Not a purpose. And Jet's pretty damn tired of living without purpose.

He leaves Iroh's tea shop when he's well enough to travel but he doesn't go far. There's plenty of opportunity in Ba Sing Se. He works odd jobs here and there and it feels almost like it did right before the occupation. Except no one looks so scared and haggard. The world is healing fast and Jet wishes he could heal with it. But there's a part of him that's broken. It fractured when his parents burned and broke completely through the war. And just when he thought it had finally scabbed over, the wound was torn open once more. Jet isn't sure if it will ever stop.

Every time he looks at Iroh, he remembers Zuko. So Jet finds work around the third shop once Gao gets it going. He doesn't go in, but he says hello here and there when he sees Gao or Tycho out and about. He's glad to at least have them around, even if he's not really around _them_. It's the thought that counts, right?

Through them, he gets updates on the others. Ping and Poi apparently found their parents and returned to their village. They said something about a woman named Aunt Wu and her prediction being right that they would be reunited before the twins reached their majority. Jet doesn't really believe in fortune tellers, but hey, at least they're happy. Jin's still in the city and she's being courted by a man twice her age. Tycho thinks it's very romantic. Gao's making sure the guy has the fear of a fully trained earthbender in him. So Jet's not worried about her, really. And he makes sure not to let her see him when she visits the shop. Jet doesn't know if Gao's keeping her updated on him, but he's not too worried about her trying to find him. They didn't really see eye-to-eye most of the time.

Jet's gotten pretty good at having connections without having them. He doesn't have to admit that Gao and Tycho are friends or that he cares about them. He doesn't have to admit he's happy when Gao gets a letter from Smellerbee and knows that she and Longshot are doing well. He _is_ amused to see the letter, though. Smellerbee is learning to write from a local priest and her characters are even more messy than Gao's. He says they're legible but Jet has a hard time figuring out where one ends and the next begins. Still, it's better than he can do, so he's happy enough for her.

It's near winter when Jet finds out a royal visit is planned for the Fire Lord. He's instantly angry. What the _fuck_ does Zuko think he's doing, invading the Earth Kigndom like this? The only reason Jet's here is because he doesn't have to know Zuko is so near. And now Zuko's coming _here_. To Ba Sing Se. To _Jet's_ territory. He knows it's stupid but Jet can't shake the rage he feels. He didn't _want_ to see Zuko again because Zuko couldn't choose _him_. And Jet wanted him to, even if it was wrong. He wanted Zuko to choose him over that entire kingdom even though he knew Zuko couldn't. And yeah, it's probably unfair to hate him for that.

Or maybe Jet's just ashamed of himself. Either way, he's angry and he stays angry in the weeks of preparation and onto the day the royal family arrives. It's easy to pick out Mai from his perch on the rooftop. She walks beside the royal procession, watchful and bored. And Jet knows the one being carted around like a fucking hero is Zuko and his damned spawn.

24.

So, Jet might kind of be stalking Zuko.

He followed the procession to the castle, snuck in, and now he's sitting in the eaves a day or two later and just… watching. The reception party, held later to give the royals some beauty sleep, is full of stuck up rich people doing their best to cozy up to the Fire Lord as if he might give them some kind of prize. And Jet can tell from here that Zuko is kind of sick of them.

The infant Zuko holds so protectively to him is beautiful. Whoever his bitch of a mother is, the boy's gotten an unearthly sort of beauty from her. His hair is the same jet black as Zuko's own and it falls feather soft around his plump face. Wide, _firebender's_ eyes look out curiously from his father's shoulder. The Prince is quiet enough, sucking on his fist while noble girls coo and tease him. He's a surprisingly good sport… until one of them darts in to _pinch his cheeks_. Then the baby is crying. Jet learns two things about the Prince then. One is that he's _really fucking annoying_. The second is that he's got the strongest lungs in the world. Jet watches as Zuko calms the child, speaking to him quietly and rocking him. At his side, Mai rolls her eyes and Jet reads her lips as she grumbles out, "_Can't you get a lid on him already?_"

And Zuko's apologizing because someone else upset his child. That's… That's just… Jet wants to punch her in the face for embarrassing him. He wants to slit the little brat's neck for making Zuko lower himself like that. Not that Jet cares. Because he _doesn't_. Not even a little bit. He's watched Zuko the last two days because he _feels_ like it. Not because he doesn't want to allow Zuko to leave his sight.

Jet doesn't know where the Queen is. She apparently didn't come. Jet grins savagely. Good. He might have killed her just on principle. Maybe she couldn't stand stepping down from her _throne_ to interact with the _peasantry_. Jet imagines her devastatingly beautiful and a total bitch because that's better than humble and sweet. He hopes Zuko's relieved his leash extends this far, at least until she snaps him back up to her.

He watches the whole party until Zuko apologizes to the Earth King and informs him he must retire. It's late and the child has had a busy few days. What fatherly fucking regard. But it gives Jet what he's wanted this whole time. Zuko tells Mai to stay and enjoy the party. He's capable of taking care of himself, after all. And then he returns to his enormous guest suite. And Jet ghosts with him. It's only after Zuko's been in bed a hour or so that Jet slips out of hiding. He carefully makes his way to the disgustingly well equipped nursery adjoining Zuko's bedchamber and then stands beside the gold encrusted crib, starring at the sleeping child.

The Prince is even more beautiful close up. And… Jet wishes he didn't hate him because it's not the baby's fault that Zuko's a duty bound _idiot_. It's not his fault that Jet can't fucking _let go_-

There are twin sword blades at his throat. Jet stays still. He's not afraid. And he should have remembered that while he's good at sneaking around, Zuko is _better_.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko asks softly, his breath brushing by Jet's ear. And damned if he's not affected by it.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Jet mutters back, eyes still on the sleeping baby. "At least I _live_ in this country."

Zuko makes a quiet, annoyed sound. Then he lowers the blades and grabs Jet's hand, hauling him out of the nursery before Jet can react. As soon as the nursery door is closed, Jet jerks his hand free and snarls out, "_Don't you fucking touch me, Firebender_."

And he sees the way Zuko flinches, the shame and anger rolling through his body. But Jet doesn't _care_. He's decided he's done with this. It's time to end this hopeless infatuation once and for all.

"Was she afraid to get dirty?" he sneers out. "That her blue blood might get tainted?"

"What are you getting at?" Zuko asks and he's getting annoyed. Zuko looks tired and when the hell did his hair get so long? It's still shaggy but it hangs past his shoulders, framing his face messily and making those yellow eyes look brighter in the half light. Jet hadn't been able to tell earlier, the way Zuko kept it in a topknot these days.

"That cunt you got your stupid heir from!"

Zuko stopped and then he sighs, raking a hand back through his hair and sagging. He looks _really_ tired. But Jet doesn't care.

"What, ashamed she might run into your little _fuck toy?_"

And then Jet's breath is knocked out as Zuko slams him up against one column of the canopy bed.

"_I have never called you that!_" he snarls out, eyes flashing, and this is good. This, Jet can deal with. It's so much easier to be angry than to _hurt_.

"Yeah?" Jet growls back. "Sure fucking _seemed_ like it!"

He should have expected the punch. And then it's open season. He snarls out an insult as he returns the blow and then they're pulling out all the stops. The only thing they silently agree on is to leave the blades out of this. Instead, it's hands and knees and _teeth_. Jet feels kind of outside his body. Like he's watching it happen. And that's how he's able to watch Zuko's face, watch it cycle through shame and anger and pain. It doesn't make Jet feel as good as he thought to cause that.

Zuko knocks him hard in the stomach and for a second, Jet can't breath. Then Zuko grabs a fist full of Jet's hair and slams his face down onto the floor, trying to pin him. Jet jerks his head back and smashes it into Zuko's face with a satisfying _crack_ before he twists his body and kicks the other man off him. Then he lunges after him and starts wailing.

"_Son of a bitch!_" Jet snarls at him even as Zuko's hand snakes out and catches his throat. His grip is tight, fingers hot as Zuko contains the fires- "_Do it!_ Fucking do it, you coward! _BURN ME!_"

Zuko's yellow eyes snap wide and his fingers twitch, and then the doors slam open as Mai and ten guards swarm in. Jet yells and fights like a madman so it's no wonder they throw him in prison, deep within the palace, with only a barred window in the door. Jet spends most of the first few hours still snarling out obscenities and lashing out at every smooth surface around him. And somehow, he's still just _watching_ himself and noticing the snap.

Jet's pretty sure it's the next day when he's calm and just laying in the cell, staring at the ceiling he can only barely see. The door clicks open and someone comes in but he. Doesn't. Fucking. _Care_.

"Idiot," Mai murmurs softly with her usual boredom. "If I can stand it, _you_ can too."

Jet glances at her. He doesn't feel ashamed so much as just… exhausted. Mai gives him a look without pity.

"His name is Jian, if you were wondering," she says. "The baby. And maybe you should start thinking better."

She's probably right.


	7. Chapters 25 and 26

**Hooked**

25.

Jet's not sure how long he's been in the cell. Long enough for the healer to come and go at least twice. His hands are wrapped up because he's busted a few knuckles and might have fractured a couple bones in his fingers. The throb under the numbing agent the healer soaked his bandages in. She called him childish. Jet knows that already. What else can he call his actions?

Not that he isn't still angry. But now Jet's thinking again. And he's remembering. The look on Zuko's face when Jet snarled at him, begged him to burn the flesh from his throat… It's that look, again. The one Jet knows. The painful thing he's seen way more often than he wants to. He remembers throwing Li/_Zuko_ out on his ass and it's… It's as unfulfilling now as it was then. Why is it that no matter how awful he feels, hurting Zuko just doesn't make it any better…?

Jet expects Zuko to visit, but he doesn't. Instead, it's Iroh and the man does not look happy. Jet scoots a bit more into the corner of his bunk, pretending he isn't, but Iroh just steps into the cell quietly and stares at him with that grave look on his face. The door shuts behind him, plunging them into a near dark again.

"My nephew has extended his stay in Ba Sing Se," Iroh begins and, for once, there isn't an ounce of cheer in him. "I tried to argue against it, but he was firm with his decision. There are things he wishes to make clear with you that he has asked me not to mention."

Jet snorts even though it's not really funny. "I don't think there's anything he could tell me that I need to know."

He most certainly didn't want to hear about Zuko's wife. That would be…. Fuck, he doesn't even want to know her _name_. The fact that she exists at all is too much. Jet knows it would be a bad idea to give him the tools to track her down. Today is one of those days when he knows just how fucked up he is.

"Do not sell my nephew short," Iroh cautions sharply enough that Jet can't help but straighten a bit. "I admit there have been some of his decisions I would dispute, but the fact that he is making them, under his own will, is enough for me to support him."

Jet really wishes they could stop talking about Zuko. He keeps flashing back to _that look_ and to seeing Zuko holding that crying infant at the party and to watching Zuko shake hands with the Earth King because who the fuck else would presume to touch him? Jet closes his eyes and breaths. He can't get worked up again. Not now. Not when so much is riding on the fact that he really has to get away from here.

"Jet, I implore you to listen. _Think_."

But Jet _is_ thinking. He's thinking he wishes the war was still going on because at least then everything was mostly black and white and if something was going on in his head, he need only find the nearest Fire Nation patrol and start a fight. He's thinking he wishes Zuko was still Li and that they could just fight together and maybe fuck a lot but all of this mess would be gone. Life could be simple again.

But it isn't.

"I don't want to see him," Jet whispers. And it's a lie. Suddenly all he wants to do is see Zuko again. But he wants to see the Zuko from before. The Zuko that _didn't choose someone else_.

Iroh sighs heavily and reaches out, taking one of Jet's shoulders in his thick hand. "It is a tangled web you have woven around yourself, Jet. Perhaps it would be best to decide which of those many strands are truly in your best interests to keep and which are holding you back."

He leaves Jet with that pearl of wisdom. Jet isn't like Zuko. He gets those twisted words almost as soon as he hears them. And yeah, maybe it _is_ time to do away with the strands he doesn't need anymore.

Jet escapes. He was only held so long because he chose to be. Because being locked in a little dark room is sometimes what you need to drag yourself back from the edge. Jet's still teetering, but he's not holding on by one finger anymore.

He's already back in the royal guest suites before anyone notices he's not in the cell anymore. He's still able to make his way into Zuko's rooms. Jet's screwed up. No matter how much he doesn't want to continue this, he can't help it. He needs to see Zuko. Or maybe, he just _needs_ Zuko.

And Zuko is waiting for him. Zuko sits on the edge of his bed with the dual swords across his thighs. His hair is tied back and his face is set with determination. Like he's going into war. Maybe he is. Jet doesn't have a fucking clue what's going to happen. He drops down onto one of the canopy supports and then to the floor and he's dodging a sword before his weight settles properly. It doesn't surprise him. Jet doesn't have his hook swords – bastards took them – so he can't really fight back but that's okay. He didn't really come here to fight, apparently.

"Her _name!_" he calls out suddenly and Zuko stops. His eyes are wider in the half light and for a minute, Jet isn't sure he's breathing. Then Zuko sighs and steps back, balancing himself and lowering the swords.

"Why?" he asks quietly. "So you can find her?"

Yes. No. Jet doesn't know. "I can just ask Mai."

"No, you can't." Zuko doesn't even look smug as he explains, "I made her promise not to say anything."

And that's kind of fucked up and funny. Jet doesn't laugh. "Why not? Is she that important to you, your wife?"

Zuko sheathes the swords and for a moment, he looks one hundred years old, all contemplation and regrets.

"Not at all," he says finally, soft and almost raw sounding. "I haven't seen her in months."

That… that's _really_ screwed up. Jet doesn't know what to make of it and that must be obvious because Zuko shakes his head a little.

"I didn't marry, Jet. Uncle gave me another solution. She is a fifth daughter who doesn't stand to inherit _or_ get a favorable, noble husband to maintain her lifestyle." Zuko's gaze is direct and piercing. And Jet remembers he can't lie to save his life. "She gave me a son. In return, I agreed to keep her comfortable for the rest of her life, whether she marries or not."

"That's _allowed?_" Jet exclaims because, shit, what the hell else is he supposed to say? _So screwed up_. "Why didn't you just shack up with Mai?"

And Zuko makes a face, half pained and half weirded out, and then he's all embarrassment. "That… that would have been… awkward. I'm… I don't _want_ her. Or any..."

He hesitates and stares at the floor for a long time. When he _does_ speak, it blows Jet's fucking mind. "The only person I've ever really wanted is you."

And… _fuck_, what is he supposed to say to that? Jet doesn't know so he doesn't end up saying anything. Until Zuko is looking at him and worrying and asking, "What now?"

"I don't know," Jet says honestly.

26.

Jet twitches when Zuko takes up one of his hands, examining the bandages with a frown. He doesn't ask how Jet got hurt. Likely, he already knows. It's disconcerting, the way Zuko looks over each wrapped finger, thumb brushing the length of them. In a way, it's more intimate than sex.

"Zuko," Jet murmurs and those firebender's eyes lift to his own. "I…"

He can't remember what he was going to say. Not an apology, of course, but… Something. Something unimportant to smooth things over, maybe. Because he wants what they had before back. He wants the closeness, awkward as it was. He wants the sex, of course, but…

"I know," Zuko says. And maybe he doesn't but the stress slides right out of Jet's body and he sags a bit. He doesn't realize just how tense he'd been until it's gone.

Zuko reaches out and nearly touches his face but pauses. His eyes flicker over Jet's expression, trying to read if he'd be welcome. Jet doesn't know what he finds there but then that warm palm settles over his cheek and he's leaning into it without a thought. Even though this is way too soft and not how they do things.

Of course, how they do things is pretty fucked up when he thinks about it.

"When are you going back?" he asks.

Zuko looks away. "Two days. I can't stay any longer."

No, Jet guesses he can't. What with running a country and all that. He just wishes…

Jet's kissing Zuko before he really thinks about it. And when he realizes, he almost draws back except he can't. Not when Zuko's kissing him _back_. And it's… It's not _perfect_ but it's familiar. He wants _more_.

Zuko makes a noise when Jet pushes him up against a dresser but there's no protest and Zuko's hands curl in Jet's hair tight, twitching as Jet runs his tongue over the roof of his mouth. Jet knows this isn't the solution. But everything seems less fucked up when he's caught up in Zuko. Words are easy to misinterpreted. _This_ is not.

Jet will always remember the way Zuko arches into his touch. Like he's starving for it. Like he can't get enough. It makes Jet's mouth go dry. He finds his way into Zuko's heavy, complicated clothing and then listens to the soft, keening noise Zuko makes as Jet traces over his thicker chest. The Fire Lord's grown in the last… fuck, how long has it been?

"I missed this," Zuko says, his cheeks pinked and eyelids heavy. "_You_."

"Yeah." Jet runs his tongue up Zuko's throat. "Me too."

And Jet has his hand down Zuko's pants before another fastens on his wrist. Jet pulls back his head, giving the other man an askew look before noticing the faint pain in Zuko's expression.

"I can't," Zuko says, closing his eyes as his brows furrowed tight and bothered. "I can't do this if it's just.."

At first, Jet doesn't get it. Second guessing. But then he remembers and his chest feels tight, like there's a vice around his lungs and heart. "_No_. I didn't… I was _lying_, Zuko."

"And you aren't now?"

He deserves that and the unsure look Zuko gives him. It's… Jet pulls back his hand and cradles Zuko's face within both.

"Look at me," Jet says seriously. "I'm… Zuko, I'm an _idiot_ when I'm hurt, okay? I say things I don't mean, I lash out… It's stupid, but… I thought…"

"You thought I would dishonor you," Zuko murmurs softly. "By keeping you as a… a…"

Jet grins a little because Zuko's kind of stupid sometimes too. "Do I look like a guy who cares about honor? It wasn't that. I mean, it _was_, but… I…"

This talking about your feelings shit really sucks. But Jet's got to do it. He has to make this clear. He has to make both of them listen to reason.

"I didn't want you to sleep with someone else, especially not some pampered bitch," Jet says, slowly and clearly. It feels like pulling teeth. "Because I want you to only see _me_."

"Jet," Zuko whispers and Jet can read the flurry of emotions in his eyes better than ever. He smiles.

"I'm a possessive bastard, Zuko. And when I don't get my way, when the things and people I want to keep threaten to leave me before I'm ready… well…" Jet sighs a little.

"I know," Zuko says and then drags Jet firmly to him as his eyes glint with mischief and something deeper. Something stronger. "You're a fool. But… you're _my_ fool."

That's probably the nicest confession of affection/love/whatever Jet's going to hear. And that's okay with him. If they ended up crying like little girls, he'd have to kill them both.


	8. Epilogue

**Hooked**

A/N: The sexual content in this part can be viewed on AFF.N.

Epilogue.

Zuko has always privately thought these grand, elaborate events are rather pointless. But the Tradition is more powerful than Common Sense sometimes. Still, he wishes he could at least do with fewer layers of clothing.

His gaze slides over the room to Jet's still form on the bed, sprawled out and taking up more room than one person should possibly be able to. Somehow, Jet manages the impossible quite frequently. Zuko draws closer to the bed as he secures various clasps. He watches the rise and fall of Jet's chest with each breath, the way his eyes flicker here and there and his lips sometimes form over soundless words. A soft breeze from the balcony plays in Jet's rat nest hair It's peaceful. Far more peaceful than Jet usually is. Zuko doesn't mind him either way, but it is nice to see him so still once in a while.

Zuko likes peace and quiet but he's rarely able to indulge. Not with a partner like Jet or a child like Jian. Zuko loves them both unconditionally, but having both means he's raising a child who learned to cheat at cards before he could hold a sword. And he can't even begrudge Jet for that, not when it's obvious to anyone with eyes how much Jet loves Jian and vice versa. Not that Jet will admit it, of course. Jet's never really admitted to loving anyone outright.

Much as he's enjoying the stillness, they're going to be late if they don't get going. Zuko reaches out and grasps Jet's shoulder with careful firmness, giving it a soft shake. Even now, years after the war, Jet still wakes quickly and on guard if startled but he's gotten used to Zuko's touch. A fact for which both of them are relieved. Jet's dark eyes open with sleepy laziness and then he stretches his body taunt, back arched off the bed almost lewdly and face a mask of pleasure. Zuko thinks about being indulging in purposeful lateness, but today's event is of utter importance.

"Time to go," he murmurs.

Jet glances at him and grins almost mockingly as he slides up onto his feet with feline grace. Everything about Jet is smooth and powerful, like a half-civilized beast in human skin. Maybe that's why Zuko can rarely look away from him.

"Sure we can't ditch?" Jet asks, as he strides towards the door. Zuko falls in step with him and they exit into the hall.

"If you wish to explain our absence, be my guest,."

Jet snickers. Then he bangs his hand on a door. "Come on, you brat! If I have to go through this, so do you!"

There's a moment of shuffling and then a small face pokes out to give Jet an exasperated look.

"I was _ready, _you don't have to be so _loud_," Jian says with all the put-upon nature of an old man with his energetic children. Zuko can't help but smile. As Jian joins them, Zuko sets a hand on the boy's shoulder and marvels that his son is already seven, despite the fact that he pretends he's thirty. Zuko thinks, perhaps, that Jian was _born_ thirty. He takes after Iroh quite a bit, despite his Jet-ish qualities. Or maybe because of them. Zuko _has_ seen how close his uncle and partner are. Sometimes when such a connection was fostered, for it seems as if it has been there as long as he can remember. Perhaps Jet is a little like Lu Ten. Zuko remembers his cousin having a very similar smile sometimes.

Servants rush to their side as they grow closer to the courtyard. They tidy a protesting Jian, hem and ha at Zuko's hair, and don't even attempt to spruce Jet up. _They've learned_.

Outside, there are lilies and roses and all sorts of grand flower arrangements. Garland lines standing and seating rows, pocked here and there with flower sculptures. It looks like some kind of bomb went off.

Jian starts sneezing almost immediately and Zuko calmly hands him a kerchief without missing a step. Jet's snickering and Zuko knows why, but he's definitely not going to laugh. That would be a very bad idea. As they settle into the raised viewing platform set up for the event, Zuko still feels a little silly. But he's learned that when it comes to presentation, no one will allow him to skip any kind of honors.

Guests have been steadily arriving since before they did, and they all come by to give their greeting to the Fire Lord. Zuko feels even sillier about this. More traditions… Jet, of course, is eating it all up. Especially with the way many courtiers and nobles still give him the dirtiest looks.

It is an unspoken truth that Zuko and Jet are partners. Everyone knows but it's either too impolite or too scandalous to discuss it. Zuko doesn't mind. The only recent time he's ever doubted the relationship is when Jian was four and asked when he would be getting a mother because despite how much he liked his grandmother, he didn't want to borrow Zuko's mother forever and, instead, wanted one of his own. Jet was absolutely no help in explaining their situation. Zuko thinks Jian probably understood anyway and the child had not brought up the issue since, but sometimes he wonders… And sometimes he regrets.

So caught in his thoughts, Zuko almost misses the beginning of the ceremony. He stands quickly, gaining an amused look from son and partner alike, then respectfully watches a great friend walk down the isle.

Mai chose a younger man who smiles freely and loves deeply. He plies her with affection only as far as she can stand and doesn't mind the fact that she has no intention of getting saddled with infants or resigning from Zuko's personal guard. It fits, in a way.

The wedding is rather nice, as far as weddings go. It's punctuated by Jian's continuous sneezing and interrupted when Mai's groom bursts into tears. Zuko can't help smiling at the look of exasperation and affection on Mai's face. What an endearing man she's taken for herself. By and by, the ceremony is ended and well wishes go out to the amused bride and again crying groom.

"Guess we all know who's on top," Jet says snarkily and Zuko shoots him a dirty look while Jian just rolls his eyes and wipes at his nose.

"We should go congratulate them," Zuko murmurs more prudently and then forces _both_ to follow with him. Jian stubbornly digs his heels in but Zuko is not about to budge on this. Not when it comes to Mai. Jian is as stubborn as a mule, but Zuko is _more_ so.

Once Mai and her new, sniffling husband are carted off to change for the reception, Zuko sends Jian off to change into less formal clothing before going on to change himself. He's distracted by running the wedding through his mind, reliving little moments here and there, so he doesn't realize Jet is right behind him until arms slid around his waist as their door slides shut.

"I gotta wonder," Jet says as he rests his head on Zuko's shoulder, "If you had a wedding, would it be as gaudy as that?"

"Worse," Zuko murmured. He leans back into Jet's firm, slimmer body, secure and relaxed. "A Firelord's wedding is a matter of immense pride and pomp. I'd only gone through the beginning preparations for one but even that was exhausting…"

"Hm." Jet's quiet, maybe listening to the way Zuko breaths. He does that sometimes, as if imprinting sounds and feelings into his memory so that he can recall them if they were ever separated. The way Jet lives with a step out the door used to scare him but now Zuko understands. "How far did you get, before?"

"I'd chosen a date, had menus planned, figured out where various courtiers would stay during the festivities…" Zuko closes his eyes. He can recall rather easily how hurried and bothered he'd been. "It was easier to deal with the details than think about what the Fire Nation would be like in Azula's hands."

Zuko feels Jet tense before he realizes what he's said.

"Azula?" Jet asks. Azula has become something abstract in both their minds. Zuko visits her here and there, but his mother has taken up much of her care. In a way, Zuko thinks perhaps it is her way of making up for her absence.

"She _was_ next in line," Zuko murmurs, "if I had been unable to produce an heir. Despite her insanity, she was the last link to the bloodline."

"You're not telling me they actually thought about appointing that crazy bitch?" Jet exclaims and Zuko winces a little because his mouth is _right_ by his ear.

"That is exactly what would have happened. She'd have been assigned a regent to rule in her stead, likely Mother or Uncle, but…" Zuko shook his head a little. "But she was physically capable of bearing heirs and inclined to do so."

Jet makes a face and pulls Zuko closer to him. "Fuck that psycho."

Zuko doesn't really like discussing his sister. The fact that she hasn't gotten any better in the last few years, that her anger and rage still burn just as brightly, bothers him to the core. He wishes he could have taught her the true source of firebending and eased her heart, but he doubts she will ever allow the hate to die.

Jet brushes his lips against Zuko's throat. "How long until the reception?"

"A half hour or so?" Zuko responds without thinking and then he can feel the grin on Jet's face.

"Perfect."

Abruptly, Zuko finds himself thrown over a thin shoulder. "What? Put me down!"

And Jet only laughs, of course, before tossing his 'bounty' right onto the bed. Before Zuko can properly right himself, Jet's pressing him down into the mattress and it's… Okay. He guesses this is all right after all.

Jet's never figured out how to string the words "I", "love", and "you" together in one thought, but Zuko feels it in the way he touches him. He can taste the words as Jet licks into his mouth, hear them in each soft sound that he's able to pull from Jet's body. It's the way Jet's _stayed_.

Zuko feels Jet's mouth on his chest before he's realized his robes are already tugged open. He curls a hand in his partner's hair, arching into Jet's nipping, biting mouth as it teases along his skin. Skilled hands work at Zuko's belt and free him just as Jet reaches his hips. Zuko shivers faintly at a long lick at the line of his hip that's just _really_ good…

…They don't _quite_ manage it together, but it's close. Close enough. Jet crumples down to Zuko's side and mutters something about sleeping forever. And Zuko allows it for a little while. For as long as Jet murmurs filthy things in his ear about how hot he was, how _tight_…and offers to return the favor.

Zuko's learned by now that that's how Jet tells him he loves him. And he's all right with that. It's how Zuko says it, too.

They're late for the reception, of course. Mai just rolls her eyes so Zuko's rather sure she doesn't really mind. So, he congratulates and teases his old friend while Jet puts the husband in his place, even though it's not really needed. The guy isn't a soldier, much less a firebender, so Mai is definitely the more lethal of the two, but Zuko would have done it if Jet didn't. They might be a little protective of her.

Jian's dancing around with Ursa when Zuko catches sight of him. The prince doesn't stay still for long but between his grandmother and grand-uncle, he's well cared for. Zuko smiles at the peaceful scene. He looks back towards Jet, who's drawn Mai into an in depth discussion that seems to be about the use of her knives in the bedroom, and shakes his head a little.

All is well in the Fire Lord's life and he hopes to keep it that way.


End file.
